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BLUE RABBIT AND THE RUNAWAY WHEEL

A moment of inattention lands Blue Rabbit in hot water in this simply told follow-up to Blue Rabbit and Friends (2000). Biking down the road “looking for adventure instead of where he was going,” Blue Rabbit hits a rock that sends his front wheel careering away on its own. Setting off in pursuit, Blue Rabbit discovers that the errant wheel has left a squirrel homeless, tripped a badger into a puddle, and overturned a tortoise—all of whom angrily follow along to track down the culprit. Gulp. With clean, expressive lines and subtle gradations of color, Wormell’s lino block prints are not only masterpieces of technique, but glow with unforced childlike charm. Trimmed in heavy black frames, each tile-like print faces oversized type and all are set on pristine, white pages. The story’s ending also has a certain appeal: having followed the wheel around a circle to the site of the original accident, Blue Rabbit hastily reassembles his bicycle and speeds away, escaping his irritated companions without a word of apology. Not exactly a lesson in taking responsibility, but give Blue Rabbit some points for not trying to shift the blame. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-8037-2508-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2000

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THE WONKY DONKEY

Hee haw.

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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. 28, 2018

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HELLO, SUN!

Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!

Fun with friends makes for a great day.

Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”

Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9780593646212

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Seuss Studios

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024

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