Wondrous and wonderful, for reading and thinking and sharing.
A celebration of transitions in the animal world.
The late April Pulley Sayre documents the in-between moments of animal lives in this posthumously published poem and photo album co-authored by her husband, Jeff. In words and pictures, they demonstrate preparations, waiting, anticipation, even some trepidation—animal experiences that their human readers will surely share. Ground squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons peek out from hiding places. There are takeoffs, flights, and landings featuring a chickadee, a robin, a blue jay, a red-tailed hawk, a wood stork, flamingos, and a whale leaping from the water. Some images show animals in families: robins in a nest, squirrels, Canada geese, two groundhogs. Many depict young animals, not quite prepared to go out in the world, “awkward,” “unsteady,” “almost ready.” A green darner dragonfly still perched on its previous nymph form—“body transformed, / but not yet gliding.” The close-up images are crisp and clear, the word choice is precise, and the poem flows smoothly—April Pulley Sayre has a well-deserved reputation for combining visuals and text to encourage a child’s awe at the natural world, and this exemplary work is a shining example. The animals are not identified, but most will be familiar to young American readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Wondrous and wonderful, for reading and thinking and sharing. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8781-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.
Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.
Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693864
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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