A super early reader title.
A super game of hide-and-seek turns into a rescue mission.
Superman and Krypto the Super-Dog are flying high over the city of Metropolis enjoying a game of hide-and-seek. When Superman flies into a cave high in the mountains, he doesn’t suspect a chunk of kryptonite lurks within the cave’s walls. Weakened by the substance of his homeworld, Superman must count on Krypto to save the day. This early reader is charmingly illustrated with bold, approachable lines and a simple color palette that will spark young readers to break out their own crayons and draw some new adventures for the Man of Steel. The story’s simplicity is neatly geared to those familiar with the broad strokes of Superman but not up to the nitty-gritty details of his decadeslong mythology quite yet. The text is full of standard sight words, making this an excellent read for those just starting both to read and to get into the world of superheroes. There’s one citizen in Metropolis that’s a person of color, but Superman’s world remains a mostly white one.
A super early reader title. (Early reader. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5158-7176-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Picture Window Books
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
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
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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