A delicious tale that will reward attentive readers.
A picnic goes awry in this wordless Dutch romp.
A group of animal friends, dressed smartly for the occasion, gather near the edge of a craggy cliff near a forest. It’s almost time for cake! But suddenly, a large eagle swoops down and grabs their blanket—along with all their personal belongings. A soccer ball, a frilly hat, a toy sword, a small stuffed rabbit, and more are stolen as the eagle flies off. Luckily, another bird sees their plight and gets the eagle to drop the blanket. But alas, the objects go flying, landing in various spots along the cliff, water, and mountainside beyond. The book works best if readers choose one item to follow during the rescue that ensues (they should turn back to focus on the other objects), because the grand picture is too vast to absorb all the details at once. Some unexpected villains enter (such as a gorilla who very much wants the frilly hat), but some new friends are made, too. Twists and turns abound, and sharp-eyed readers will delight in poring over all the possibilities and filling in the blanks. Even without words, the approach will appeal especially to more narrative-minded fans.
A delicious tale that will reward attentive readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781776575930
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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