These two comic characters are sly as any fox—and endearing to boot.
This 10th in the translated Swedish series has farmer Pettson and his talking cat, Findus, trying to outfox a fox.
With plenty of chickens and firewood, the two of them are content on their farm—until cranky neighbor Gustavsson shows up, asking if they’ve seen a fox that’s stealing chickens. Pettson and Findus immediately plan a scheme to scare the fox away by making a fake chicken. A balloon filled with black pepper and covered with chicken feathers should do the trick. But is that enough? Firecrackers, a zip line, and a ghost (Findus in a sheet) embellish the plan. The folk-tale quality of the story lends it down-home flavor, and the banter between farmer and cat is a large part of the fun. But the real cleverness lies in the lively, intricately detailed illustrations: a tiny bathtub with five mice sits on the workbench next to a pencil holder that appears to be full of telephone poles, just one of many details that will have readers poring over this book for hours. Though the text is longer than usual for a picture book and part of a series, this story can easily stand alone and may well lead the readers to previous adventures of Pettson and Findus.
These two comic characters are sly as any fox—and endearing to boot. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4215-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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