Fun and reassuring. (Picture book. 3-6)
Baby Owl’s plan to read a story to his toy, Owly (not the delightful comic-book character, but adorable just the same), turns viral.
Tiny Chick promises to sit quietly if he can listen also. But here come his brothers and sisters, followed by his cousins, all jumping on poor Baby Owl’s lap, pushing and shoving and all but pulverizing him. He protests and demands quiet, but when even more chicks join in, all his good intentions are brought crashing down by the frightening over-exuberance of his audience, and he calls for help. Dad comes to the rescue, and along with the chicks’ mom, he brings order to the chaos so Baby Owl can read the story without further ado. Allen’s latest adventure starring the endearing Baby Owl displays a nice mix of charm and mayhem, but that moment when Owl disappears in the crowd of crazed chicks is downright terrifying. So what will young readers find here? Is it a lesson in the joys of reading or a warning about mob rule, at least as it pertains to demented chicks, or perhaps a homily about trusting wise and loving parents? It’s all there, and Allen’s sharp, bright digital cartoons make it all work. Even the endpapers are filled with those goofy little chicks, not appearing the least bit threatening. A sweet, cozy ending suggests a perfect bedtime story.
Fun and reassuring. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-907967-44-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boxer Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The action of this rhymed and humorous tale centers upon a mouse who "took a stroll/through the deep dark wood./A fox saw the mouse/and the mouse looked good." The mouse escapes being eaten by telling the fox that he is on his way to meet his friend the gruffalo (a monster of his imagination), whose favorite food is roasted fox. The fox beats a hasty retreat. Similar escapes are in store for an owl and a snake; both hightail it when they learn the particulars: tusks, claws, terrible jaws, eyes orange, tongue black, purple prickles on its back. When the gruffalo suddenly materializes out of the mouse's head and into the forest, the mouse has to think quick, declaring himself inedible as the "scariest creature in the deep dark wood," and inviting the gruffalo to follow him to witness the effect he has on the other creatures. When the gruffalo hears that the mouse's favorite food is gruffalo crumble, he runs away. It's a fairly innocuous tale, with twists that aren't sharp enough and treachery that has no punch. Scheffler's funny scenes prevent the suspense from culminating; all his creatures, predator and prey, are downright lovable. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: June 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2386-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1999
SEEN & HEARD
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