An ocean of delights awaits readers in this sea-lebration. Kids will fin-ish quickly and clam-or for more.
Santa Shark is swimming to town!
Edgar the shark is tingling with excitement. It’s late December, and he’s preparing for Santa Shark’s arrival. His bestie, Lotta Crab, hasn’t heard of Santa Shark but quickly gets caught up in Edgar’s fervor as he explains—and loudly sings about—what the preparations entail in an uproarious account brimming with sly marine-themed puns, from “Jingle shells” to “We fish you a Merry Christmas.” Some clever puns may sail over kids’ heads (the “Christmas cods” include messages like “Let minnow if you have a good Christmas” and “carp-e diem”). Apart from the zingy text, there’s plenty to capture young readers’ attention. Dynamic illustrations highlight the protagonists’ expressiveness and lively participation in a variety of activities; some images are set as captioned panels within larger illustrations. The eye-popping text is literally all over the place, graphic novel–style. Fonts are in various sizes and colors and are capitalized throughout. Kids will giggle at the sight of the white-bearded, bushy-browed Santa Shark, who rides a sleigh pulled by seahorses. Bug-eyed, snaggle-toothed Edgar, sporting a sweater festooned with snowflakes, is a hilarious hoot, and bright-red, antennae-eyed Lotta is a loyal charmer who creates a wondrous surprise for Edgar that brings their undersea observance to a perfect close.
An ocean of delights awaits readers in this sea-lebration. Kids will fin-ish quickly and clam-or for more. (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9781338803952
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2023
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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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