At once light, visually playful, and educational, Franco and Wertz’s latest collaboration proves the third time’s a charm.
In their third picture-book outing, Franco and Wertz (A Dazzling Display of Dogs, 2011, etc.) dive into the sea.
A sunny day provides the perfect entree for a poetic snorkeling trip revealing dozens of aquatic organisms illustrated through Wertz’s vivid depictions of Franco’s concrete poems (with the occasional limerick, cinquain, riddle, and haiku tossed in). Where the duo’s last effort rather literally threatened to “dazzle” the senses, here Wertz’s striking palette of blues, indigo, orange, reds, and yellow, showcased in richly detailed images and undulating lettering, effectively captures the sea’s dynamism. Franco spotlights interesting fish and other creatures one might glimpse during a dive, highlighting vital aspects of oceanic life cycles and special characteristics of organisms sure to pique a child’s interest. The “Spiny Puffer” is cleverly likened to a porcupine, and “Cleaner Fish” are “wary of fish with sharp white teeth, / so cleaner fish are wise. / They’ve found a way to get along, / help out, and harmonize. / They clean the teeth of scary fish / who’d eat them / otherwise.” Young and old Nemo devotees will delight to find among Wertz’s wavy orange fronds Franco’s revelation as to “why clown fish hang out in the anemones”—it “poison[s] all your enemies”—and other engagingly rhymed facts.
At once light, visually playful, and educational, Franco and Wertz’s latest collaboration proves the third time’s a charm. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-2152-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading.
When Franklin School principal Mr. Boone announces a pet-show fundraiser, white third-grader Cody—whose lack of skill and interest in academics is matched by keen enthusiasm for and knowledge of animals—discovers his time to shine.
As with other books in this series, the children and adults are believable and well-rounded. Even the dialogue is natural—no small feat for a text easily accessible to intermediate readers. Character growth occurs, organically and believably. Students occasionally, humorously, show annoyance with teachers: “He made mad squinty eyes at Mrs. Molina, which fortunately she didn’t see.” Readers will be kept entertained by Cody’s various problems and the eventual solutions. His problems include needing to raise $10 to enter one of his nine pets in the show (he really wants to enter all of them), his troublesome dog Angus—“a dog who ate homework—actually, who ate everything and then threw up afterward”—struggles with homework, and grappling with his best friend’s apparently uncaring behavior toward a squirrel. Serious values and issues are explored with a light touch. The cheery pencil illustrations show the school’s racially diverse population as well as the memorable image of Mr. Boone wearing an elephant costume. A minor oddity: why does a child so immersed in animal facts call his male chicken a rooster but his female chickens chickens?
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30223-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
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
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