Another mesmerizing outing from the sultan of seek-and-find.
Gatefolds expose sudden calamities, eye-widening surprises, and—of course—fresh cascades of small toys, charms, beads, and found bric-a-brac in 10 teeming scenes.
“See more” indeed. A version of the eponymous jointed figurine clambering through Wick’s Can You See What I See? series returns with a canine companion to topple a stack of toy-filled buckets, climb an elaborate treehouse, rocket into space aboard a paper-plate saucer, and otherwise explore the fantastically populous assemblages. The photographer’s rhymed tallies—“a robot butler, / a crayon that’s pink, / a teapot, a toaster, / and a kitchen sink”—provide only the barest start on a complete catalog. As usual, the colors pop, and every tiniest detail is distinctly visible. The visual legerdemain includes a multileveled highway interchange that switches from day to night with a lift of the side flap and a Rube Goldberg–style mechanism for launching a helium balloon (viewers are challenged to visualize how it works). Wick transforms common materials like gears and other metal junk to concoct a classic robot, and painted cardboard turns into a fully furnished, Star Wars–worthy spaceship. Following views of everything (more or less) neatly stowed on shelves at the end, Wick adds additional challenges plus construction notes on each project.
Another mesmerizing outing from the sultan of seek-and-find. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-50216-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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