by J. Torres ; illustrated by J. Lum ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013
These Checkers and Dot adventures, while not share-aloud superstars, are nifty for leaving in baby’s reach for spontaneous...
A simple black-and-white board book takes toddlers on a trip to the farm.
Checkers and Dot (named for the patterns on their clothing) take their cat Stripesy and dog Spot to the farm, where they investigate what’s inside the barn. In simple, rhyming text—only a couple of short lines per page—the little group meets a cow who “says hello with a Moo, Moo, Moo” and a horse who “eats hay with a chew, chew, chew.” After next encountering some chickens and a grouchy duck, the cat and dog are ready to leave, so Checkers and Dot say goodbye. While the text is occasionally a bit awkward and rhythmically stilted, it is simple and sparse enough for the board-book crowd, with an appropriate vocabulary as well. The appealing black-and-white illustrations feature lots of interesting patterns sure to get little ones’ attention. In a companion volume, Checkers and Dot at the Beach, the crew counts animals, from one crab to five fish. Here, too, the slightly strange story is rescued by the crisp, high-contrast illustrations, featuring large numerals in addition to patterns this time.
These Checkers and Dot adventures, while not share-aloud superstars, are nifty for leaving in baby’s reach for spontaneous exploration and play. (Board book. 3 mos.-3)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-77049-443-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Patricia Castelao ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2024
Not the most satisfying wrap-up, but it’s always good to spend time in the world of this series.
Beloved gorilla Ivan becomes a father to rambunctious twins in this finale to a quartet that began with 2012’s Newbery Award–winning The One and Only Ivan.
Life hasn’t always been easy for silverback gorilla Ivan, who’s spent most of his life being mistreated in captivity. Now he’s living in a wildlife sanctuary, but he still gets to see his two best friends. Young elephant Ruby lives in the grassy habitat next door, and former stray dog Bob has a home with one of the zookeepers. All three were rescued from the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. Ivan’s expanded world includes fellow gorilla Kinyani—the two are about to become parents, and Ivan is revisiting the traumas of his past in light of what he wants the twins to know. When the subject inevitably comes up, Applegate’s trust and respect for readers is evident. She doesn’t shy away from hard truths as Ivan wrestles with the fact that poachers killed his family. Readers will need the context provided by knowledge of the earlier books to feel the full emotional impact of this story. The rushed ending unfortunately falls flat, detracting from the central message that a complex life can still contain hope. Final art not seen.
Not the most satisfying wrap-up, but it’s always good to spend time in the world of this series. (gorilla games, glossary, author’s note) (Verse fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780063221123
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko ; illustrated by Wallace West
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by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Charles Santoso
by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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