The believable plot and inherent suspense will keep readers turning the pages of this fine addition to early chapter books,...
With a limited vocabulary perfect for readers just edging into chapter books, the tale of Logan’s efforts to locate his lost dog rings completely true.
After Logan’s parents separate, he and his mother and Border collie, Bear, head for a new home in the suburbs, but Bear gets lost. Shortly afterward, Hannah’s father finds the missing pet in the back of his truck. Hannah is desperate for a pet, but her parents decide to leave the dog at the Rainbow Street Shelter (the name of this new series) to give him his best chance for return to his owners. There Hannah begins volunteering with the animals, recognizing their need for affection. Logan, miserable over leaving his family’s farm and his parents’ break-up, is devastated by the loss of his beloved dog. As his parents try to track down Bear and Hannah’s parents recognize her growing level of responsibility, glimmers of hope appear for both children. While the very brief text, accompanied by frequent attractive black-and-white illustrations, doesn’t give room for extensive character development, the essentials are effectively captured.
The believable plot and inherent suspense will keep readers turning the pages of this fine addition to early chapter books, which will resonate with both pet lovers and children involved in divorces. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8931-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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