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
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
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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
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BOOK REVIEW
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