A lesson in heeding the biased advice of strangers takes an unexpected turn.
Danny the hippo is indulging in an underwater tooth scrub when he overhears a conversation among the “cleaner fish” about the gap between his teeth: He must have a lisp with teeth like that. When he consults with some snakes to determine if he speaks strangely, the lisping reptiles agree that there’s something wrong. Off to the city Danny goes, where he acquires a handsome set of braces—and a brand-new lisp. He recommends the procedure to a crocodile friend, who meets with the dentist, promptly devouring him and taking his job. Now the croc is a well-established dentist, and Danny couldn’t be happier. There is much to enjoy in the easy lines and retro tone of the illustrations. Simple forms and bright colors pop off the page, lending the entire enterprise a jaunty, joyful feel. Up until the sudden plot shift to the crocodile, the story has much to say about heeding the advice of others over your own common sense. Unfortunately, the sudden interjection of the croc turns the tale from The Bear Who Wasn’t (1946) to Sweeney Todd for no particular reason.
Pleasing art hampered by occasionally overblown storytelling and an ungainly plot twist. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-909263-42-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
44
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The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 29, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unlikely friends Bear and Rabbit face fears together.
The anthropomorphic creatures set out on an adventure. Graphic-based illustrations give the book a Pixar movie feel, with a variety of page layouts that keep the story moving. Large blocks of black text are heavy on dialogue patterns as timid Bear and bold Rabbit encounter obstacles. Bear fears every one of them, from the stream to the mountain. He’ll do anything to avoid the objects of terror: taking a bus, a train, and even a helicopter. As Rabbit asks Bear if he’s frightened, Bear repeatedly responds, “I’m not scared, you’re scared!” and children will delight in the call-and-response opportunities. Adults may tire of the refrain, but attempts to keep everyone entertained are evident in asides about Bear's inability to brush food from his teeth (he’s too afraid to look at himself in the mirror) and Rabbit's superstrong ears (which do come in handy later). When Rabbit finds herself in danger after Bear defects on the adventure, Bear retraces the trip. Along the way, he notes that the stream wasn't as deep, nor the mountain as high, as he thought when he was scared. While picture-book shelves may not be screaming for another comedically sweet bear story, especially one that treads such familiar territory, many readers will appreciate this tale of overcoming fears. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Energetic and earnest but not groundbreaking. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35237-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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