Proof that well-meant help, whether in big or small doses, is always appreciated, rain or shine.
When a storm of biblical proportions looms, who will help Noah?
Noah gathers the animals together to announce that “a big rain is coming” and that he’ll build an ark for their safety. Lionel, a diminutive hedgehog, immediately offers his assistance. Noah dismisses Lionel (he’s too small to help, Noah claims) and says that he’ll seek help from the bears. Next morning, Noah doesn’t know how to alert the animals who live far away. “Already taken care of!” declares Lionel. Dolores, his hedgehog partner, sent them invitations. And so it goes: Noah repeatedly rejects help from Lionel and Dolores—sort of party planners/cruise directors. Happily, some animals pitch in with the ark building, but the labor doesn’t make them forget they’re hungry predators. Guess who forestalls that crisis—and also prevents the ark from overturning in giant waves? When the rain finally stops and the ark reaches dry land, Noah admits the hedgehogs have saved the day, sending readers the important message that even the smallest of creatures can be a huge help, especially when friends are in a jam. This new take on the Noah story will be welcome to those familiar with the tale and newcomers alike for its freshness and flashes of modern humor, particularly in the colorful, rollicking illustrations. All characters are expressive. Noah is light-skinned.
Proof that well-meant help, whether in big or small doses, is always appreciated, rain or shine. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728486826
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
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