A less ebullient outing than usual.
Growing plants takes water, soil, sun, and patience.
In the same vein as a popular pachyderm-and-porker pair, a cartoon horse and a sun hat–wearing horsefly engage in agricultural pursuits—with minimal props—against a flat, neon background that changes color with each page or each panel. The goal of this adventure is to plant seeds and grow vegetables (or vegetables and fruits depending on how one categorizes tomatoes, though the book does not wade into that debate). Buggy is determined to get on with the job while Horse’s high energy levels and abbreviated attention span provide comedic distractions. Befitting this very elementary early reader, the dialogue-only text that peppers the story is sparse—limited to mostly one-syllable words and a few brief sentences, the longest of which contains six words. This entry in the series, alas, is not as successful as its predecessors. The combination of incredibly spare text and frequent jumps from one conversation to the next may leave some children feeling disjointed or confused. These leaps also distract from the final joke, which stems from planting unknown seeds; its subtle buildup is at odds with the broad humor of the characters. The ultrabright backgrounds often compete with tiny Buggy and pale gray Horse, overshadowing the duo. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 56% of actual size.)
A less ebullient outing than usual. (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4498-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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
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
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