Readers may find themselves scratching their heads.
Teddy the dog decides to compete in a dog show.
Teddy thinks very highly of himself (“I’ve always been a dashing dog”), so he knows he’ll be a natural in the Strut Your Mutt dog show. He fills out the entry form and prepares to travel. While the art accurately reflects what the text tells, it does little to move the action forward or tell a story the text does not. Teddy doesn’t want to travel with luggage via plane (sad animals in crates make for a teachable moment about the inhumane treatment of animals in planes), instead taking the ChauFUR Express. Sneider incorporates some clever jokes into his illustrations, some apparently aimed more at adults than children: “Weight? A dog never tells!” reads Teddy’s completed entry form. Upon arrival, the sunglasses-sporting Teddy is lauded by all, though why he deserves their attention is never entirely clear. Strangely, Teddy—who usually displays human tendencies—is suddenly all dog, jumping on the judge…and getting disqualified. The book ends with a moral: “we’re all best in our own show.” This story seems unsure of its purpose—the moral implies it’s a morality tale, but it seems entirely undeserved. Teddy’s always had confidence; had his lack of special talents been an issue earlier, it may have made more sense.
Readers may find themselves scratching their heads. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-238284-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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
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
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