A clever way to approach a conversation on assumptions.
A picture-book debut that looks at common superstitions and misconceptions.
A stork is going fishing. “If I’m lucky, I’ll have fish for dinner,” the long-legged bird says hopefully. But suddenly, a black cat crosses the path. “OH NO! BAD LUCK!… / I won’t catch anything today!” The black cat is also going fishing. “If I’m lucky, I’ll have fish for dinner,” the feline purrs. But: “OH NO! A RACCOON! That masked bandit will steal my fish!” Coincidentally, the raccoon is also going fishing. The refrain repeats. Four animals, all hoping for a fish dinner, suddenly crowd the dock, each looking warily at the others, afraid of all the mistaken beliefs they’ve previously heard. The raccoon fears catching warts from the frog; the frog hopes the stork doesn’t deliver any inconvenient babies. Each eyes the others suspiciously. But what luck! They each catch a fish! Each superstition or myth is unraveled as the animals apologize to one another. Stork is particularly perplexed: “Wait. What? Why would I deliver babies?” Awan’s illustrations use contrast effectively; the bold, simply shaped animals stand out starkly against the light sky. The text also pops in dark, blocky typeface. Appended backmatter further explains the origins of the misconceptions associated with each animal. The question of the fishes’ luck goes unaddressed, however.
A clever way to approach a conversation on assumptions. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-324-01552-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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