Adventure, bravery, and love make for a warm, tender tale.
Tom and his beloved dog must separate.
Sandy, a yellow Lab, has belonged to Tom since he was a puppy. But Tom’s family is moving overseas, and Sandy is to begin a new life at Uncle Ben’s sheep farm. Uncle Ben welcomes him, but his lead dog, Captain, definitely does not. The border collie refers to Sandy as City Dog and lets him know that he is there to work moving sheep. So he follows Captain’s lead and learns his job, even earning Uncle Ben’s approval. When a bush fire threatens the sheep, Sandy and Captain bravely work as a team to lead them to safety. Uncle Ben hails the two dogs as heroes, and this is the real beginning of a canine friendship. Sandy has not only acclimated to life on the farm—he realizes that he really likes it. Although his love for Tom is undiminished and he is joyful when Tom visits, now he knows where he belongs. Sandy narrates his own story of love and adventure in the first canine. Young readers will relate to his almost-human voice, but his essential dogginess is never in question. Argent’s colorful illustrations are detailed and focused. Characters are often shown in close-up, showing their every emotion; all the humans present White. There is a strong sense of place, with the atmosphere and language indicating an Australian setting.
Adventure, bravery, and love make for a warm, tender tale. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-76036-132-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Starfish Bay
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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