Plodding, endearing, and humorous—not unlike a baby moose.
A surprising bond between an elder hunter and a moose sheds light on the lives of an Inner Mongolian people.
In the “vast forests” of mountainous northern China, the Indigenous Reindeer Ewenki people hunt, raise reindeer, and live in nomadic camps. When an old hunter named Gree Shek accidentally makes an orphan of a baby moose, guilt prompts the tan-skinned elder to bring the motherless calf back to his tent for the night. It’s not long before Xiao Han (“Little Moose”) is adopted into the camp, where he quickly grows to the size of a reindeer, joins the herd, and wreaks playful havoc on his adoptive home. Young readers will delight in the lumbering mammal’s antics; for instance, the ever growing Xiao Han insists on spending each night in Gree Shek’s tent—until the clumsy moose knocks it down entirely. Despite the loving bond, the aging hunter realizes that Xiao Han will never be quite suited for life among humans, and the lighthearted tale takes an emotional turn when the steadily declining hunter sends Xiao Han back into the wild. Blackcrane’s tale culminates in a rather grim scene: upon checking on Gree Shek’s campsite, fellow hunters discover his corpse (illustrated reverently by Jiu Er). Though the plot meanders, the tale is valuable for its thoughtful portrayal of the Reindeer Ewenki’s traditional ways. The illustrations’ delicate lines and shading meticulously model the characters, and there’s a solemnity to them even at their most slapstick.
Plodding, endearing, and humorous—not unlike a baby moose. (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77164-538-6
Page Count: 68
Publisher: Aldana Libros/Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Lively fun with animal friends.
Has Plum’s pep deserted him?
Several animals from the Athensville Zoo are on their way to visit an elementary school. Overconfident Itch the ningbing (an Australian marsupial), unaware that zookeeper Lizzie will be doing all the talking, looks forward to “lecturing eager young minds.” Plum, the usually chipper peacock, on the other hand, is anxious—maybe the schoolchildren won’t like him or he’ll get lost. So when they arrive at the school to find the students have been sent home due to a blizzard, Plum is relieved. The animals are left in a school gym for the night until three self-important class mice free them. Itch heads for the library to meet the learned turtle, but Plum reluctantly explores with his friends. When his anxiety peaks, they reassure him, and when the mice reject Meg, another peacock, as “borrrring” and uncool, they buoy her as well before everyone comes together to save Itch, who finds himself outside and stranded in a snowdrift. Unlike Leave It to Plum (2022), this is not a mystery, and the relationship focus shifts from Lizzie to the rodents, but the pace is brisk, and sequel seekers will be pleased to revisit familiar characters (if dismayed that Itch’s longing for knowledge leads to his downfall). In Phelan’s engaging grayscale pen-and-wash illustrations, Lizzie has short curly hair; text and art cue her as Latine.
Lively fun with animal friends. (how to draw Plum) (Chapter book. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-307920-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
