A charming, clever, and feel-good version of a classic fable.
A tale of canine fun and friendship inspired by Aesop’s “The Dog and His Reflection.”
Simon, an endearing and perky brown pup with a tasty bone, spots what he considers to be a scraggly dog with a seemingly larger snack in the surface of the pond, not realizing it’s his own reflection. (The book opens vertically, allowing viewers to see both our furry hero and his reflection.) How can Simon get the bone for himself? A request for a trade goes nowhere, so he tries to challenge the other dog to a staring contest. When nothing works, he decides to pounce—which results in the loss of the bone! Young listeners will explode into giggles as they recognize Simon’s toddlerlike mistakes, all the while appreciating his good (and not-so-good) intentions. There just happens to be an additional bone nearby, and Simon eagerly acquires it—but maybe making a friend is more important than having a bone….Tabor’s smudgy illustrations depict Simon with warmth and humor in a gentle park setting that cleverly leaves room for young readers and listeners to spot Simon’s errors and show off their own knowledge; the author/illustrator also deftly folds in a joke-filled lesson about sharing and friendship. Kids will fall in love with this enticing introduction to Aesop—and with Simon. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A charming, clever, and feel-good version of a classic fable. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9780063275553
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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