After Buster Rabbit, Stan Badger, and Sarah Mouse gallop by, Harry Tortoise sets off at his own deliberate pace to find “someone not quick who has time to play with a tortoise.” Sporting an eye-catching red cap, Harry plods through a series of minimally detailed woodland scenes, trailed by a coterie of quizzical beetles, and meets up at last with Sam Snail, a perfect mate for such slo-mo games as “Heads In and Heads Out,” or leisurely conversations about “tree stumps and puddles, and mushrooms and moss.” S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d beyond standard length to mimic Harry’s unhurried progress, this successor to the likes of Arlene Dubanevich’s Pig William (1985) or Eve Merriam’s Unhurry Harry (1978), with its muted colors and smiling, simply drawn figures, is bound to settle and soothe even the most rabbity young listeners. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-7636-1802-0
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-292858-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201999-5
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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