A wintry friendship story that cleverly conceals a how-to for conquering one’s fears and getting back up after snowy falls
What do you do when your giraffe wants to ski?
As snow falls outside, the young protagonist sits uneasily inside a cozy chalet with a giraffe that has just decided to learn to ski. Though the child tries to convince the giraffe that making hot chocolate or snow giraffes would be preferable, the giraffe remains focused and heads straight for the slopes, our protagonist in hot pursuit with equipment in tow. Told in second person, this tongue-in-cheek, teach-your-giraffe-to-ski instruction manual offers a solid introduction to the basics of the sport, for humans too—ski positions, slope etiquette, etc. When at last the giraffe bombs down the largest mountain, what else must a good friend do but go after her? The giraffe’s fearlessness may resonate with some young enthusiasts eager to hit the slopes, while the child’s trepidation about conquering the “Big Scary Slope” will be familiar to many first-time skiers. In true picture-book fashion, the delightful, bright, cartoon-style illustrations expand upon exuberant text that takes turns instructing and cautioning this bold, headstrong mammal and her slightly more cautious owner through attempts, falls, and reassuring hugs. It’s never easy to learn something new; sometimes it helps to have a giraffe learn with you. The child has tan skin and straight, black hair.
A wintry friendship story that cleverly conceals a how-to for conquering one’s fears and getting back up after snowy falls . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8075-7767-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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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