Possum weathers disaster in this gentle, charmingly illustrated, oh-so-timely tale.
Last appearing in Possum and the Peeper (1998), Possum finds himself homeless in his newest adventure.
As a summer storm approaches, Possum gathers his baby possums into their home in their brush pile, which is soon washed away, leaving Possum floating in the flooded creek with his children clinging to his back. From their perch in a tree, Possum assures his children they’ll find a new one, although there is nary a brush pile to be seen. Discovering Possum’s homeless state, a chipmunk helps the little ones dig a burrow on higher ground, but Possum can’t fit into its entrance. After hearing about Possum’s dilemma, Muskrat shows him how to construct a lodge with cattails and mud above the chipmunk burrow. When a wasp adds windows crafted from chewed wood and saliva and an oriole weaves swinging nests from grasses and vines, Possum soon has “the most beautiful home in the world!” Despite Possum’s dire situation, the text remains calm, reassuring, and upbeat. Illustrations in delicate, crosshatched pen-and-ink lines and watercolor washes move from atmospheric storm sequences in which wide-eyed Possum and his adorable babies watch rising water wash them and their home downstream to fascinating close-ups of animals working industriously together above- and belowground.
Possum weathers disaster in this gentle, charmingly illustrated, oh-so-timely tale. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 22, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-89891-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
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. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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