This fish story smells stale already.
Big brother shark thinks quickly and saves the day.
Gilbert the great white shark wants to take his new little brother, Finn, everywhere with him, but Gilbert's friend Rita Remora wants nothing to do the tyke, who, in her opinion, is too small to play with them. Indeed, Finn struggles on the see-saw and is too slight to play finball. He does like the seaweed swing, which Rita and Gilbert strap him into so that they can go skating. All of a sudden, the sea goes as dark as night and all the fish scatter; it's a killer whale! And he spots Finn, still strapped into the swing. Gilbert grabs the seaweed holding Finn just in time, but the whale doesn't give up. He chases Rita, Gilbert and Finn, who speed to a sunken fishing boat and elude the orca. All seems safe, but Gilbert gets a little panicky when he can't find Finn and Rita. They pop out of a barrel, laughing. Rita and Finn have become friends, and the trio swims off together. This slapdash story of brotherly love is not improved by undistinguished illustrations or a chase scene that feels an awful lot like any number of animated kids’ movies. The copyright page includes interesting facts about sharks, but their placement makes them likely to be overlooked.
This fish story smells stale already. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8040-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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