An entertaining introduction for young readers to the harmful effects of oil spills on marine wildlife.
An unlikely friendship is forged between penguin and human.
João, who lives on the shore, spots an oil-soaked, immobile penguin. João cleans the bird and boats him back out to the water, but the penguin returns to João’s home. The two become friends, João even naming the penguin Dindim. Though instinct eventually leads the penguin back to the sea, four months later he returns—right to João’s door. He stays for eight months, returns to the ocean, and then revisits João again and again: “Just like clockwork every year, / João knows when he’ll appear.” An appended note states that this true story is based upon the experience of João Pereira de Souza, a retired bricklayer, and the Magellanic penguin who visits him annually at his home on Proveta Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The same note explains the effects of oil spills on wildlife. João and his partner have pale skin, but curious visitors with darker skin, including children, visit to meet Dindim. The breezy, sun-dappled illustrations of João’s home on the beach emphasize the bonding of the old man and the bird; in a couple, João even holds Dindim like a baby in his arms. The rhyming couplets that convey the narrative grow somewhat singsong and, therefore, monotonous, but the characters are endearing and the story, satisfying. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
An entertaining introduction for young readers to the harmful effects of oil spills on marine wildlife. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0208-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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