by Laurie Krebs & illustrated by Anne Wilson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2010
Three children exploring the Amazon River forest between dawn and dusk encounter a wide variety of animals that describe their customary activities in rhyming couplets, each beginning with an appropriate verb. “ ‘Snooze,’ yawn the sloths, all ready to doze. / ‘We’ll nap in the trees as we cling by our toes.’ ” The text is set in a quirky but legible type against Wilson’s lively background illustrations, created with printed papers, printing ink and acrylic paints. Appropriately, the children (black, brown and white) are dwarfed by the scenery. These busy, colorful pictures emphasize the lush plant life, and the animals are easily identifiable. Following the poem, nine pages of endnotes include a roughly accurate map and description of the Amazon rainforest, three examples of indigenous peoples—the Matis, the Yanomami and the Ribereños (more properly a mixture of peoples)—conservation issues and short descriptions of the 14 animals mentioned. Brenda Z. Guiberson’s Rain, Rain, Rain Forest, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (2004), provides a more informative introduction, but this cheerful addition to Krebs’s travel series will be welcomed in storytimes. (Informational picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-84686-331-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2010
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laurie Krebs
BOOK REVIEW
by Laurie Krebs & illustrated by Valeria Cis
BOOK REVIEW
by Laurie Krebs & illustrated by Helen Cann
BOOK REVIEW
by Laurie Krebs & illustrated by Julia Cairns
by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Steve Jenkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Jennifer Ward
BOOK REVIEW
by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Robin Page
BOOK REVIEW
by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Alexander Vidal
BOOK REVIEW
by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Lisa Congdon
by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
75
Our Verdict
GET IT
IndieBound Bestseller
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Craig Smith
BOOK REVIEW
by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley
BOOK REVIEW
by Doug MacLeod ; illustrated by Craig Smith
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Osterweil and illustrated by Craig Smith
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.