Both chortle-inducing and whiny at turns, this proves there’s nothing new under the metafictive sun.
Arnold the sheep desperately wants to be part of the story…with a few modifications.
The narrator begins with a proper “Once upon a time,” but after that, the tale quickly derails. Instead of a little girl in a red hood, a big fluffy sheep suddenly fills the page (as Arnold declares, “A Heidschnucke sheep to be exact”). The narrator is confused. Arnold explains that sheep are always relegated to the backgrounds of stories. (Case in point, “Little Bo Peep”). He wants to be the star this time. “Oh, all right, then,” the narrator relents. But Arnold has some other suggestions as well. Could the story’s setting not be in a dark wood? It’s a little creepy. Plus, Arnold knows some fantastic friends to fill a few of the roles. Einer the muskrat would make a great wolf. And Frankie the warthog would be the perfect granny. Overzealous Arnold takes the story into his own cloven hooves, providing a wacky interpretation of the classic tale. Atkinson’s interrupting speech bubbles, stately frames, faux corner page turns, and large pencil with erasure marks pack in every trope. Like so many of its ilk, the story takes a back seat to concept, resulting in what feels like 40 pages of setup.
Both chortle-inducing and whiny at turns, this proves there’s nothing new under the metafictive sun. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5748-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 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
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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