Sisterly affection and admiration sweetly serves to strengthen the rapport between siblings.
A little sister is eager to do everything big sister does.
A frustrated little toucan describes how her big sister can make her own breakfast, tie her own shoes, and read her own books. Big sister says, “I tou-can,” but little sister says “I tou-can’t.” No matter how diligent the effort, sometimes little sister is just too little. “IT’S NOT FAIR THAT I’M LITTLE.” But when big sister comes down with a cold and doesn’t feel like doing anything, little sister is there, ready to help. She gets her sister slippers and snacks, then tells her a story. Proud of herself, little sister decides she deserves a reward. Climbing to reach the candy jar atop the refrigerator, she tumbles, falls, and creates a mess. Big sister comes to the rescue, reminding little sister that she is still little. No matter; the love between these siblings wins out with little moments they share together. The play on the phrase I can too that so many younger siblings favor in their attempts to follow and copy may be lost on little listeners, though the sentiment displayed by these toucan characters shines through. Colorful cartoon illustrations augment the positive portrayal of the significance of younger-sibling ambition and self-worth supported by an older sibling’s cooperation and understanding. The birds live in a home with human furnishings but do not wear clothes (except slippers); they wear their head feathers, however, in a ponytail and pigtails. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sisterly affection and admiration sweetly serves to strengthen the rapport between siblings. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11763-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to...
A hug shouldn’t require an instruction manual—but some do.
A porcupine can frighten even the largest animal. In this picture book, a bear and a deer, along with a small rabbit, each run away when they hear eight simple words and their name: “I need a hug. Will you cuddle me,…?” As they flee, each utters a definitive refusal that rhymes with their name. The repetitive structure gives Blabey plenty of opportunities for humor, because every animal responds to the question with an outlandish, pop-eyed expression of panic. But the understated moments are even funnier. Each animal takes a moment to think over the request, and the drawings are nuanced enough that readers can see the creatures react with slowly building anxiety or, sometimes, a glassy stare. These silent reaction shots not only show exquisite comic timing, but they make the rhymes in the text feel pleasingly subtle by delaying the final line in each stanza. The story is a sort of fable about tolerance. It turns out that a porcupine can give a perfectly adequate hug when its quills are flat and relaxed, but no one stays around long enough to find out except for an animal that has its own experiences with intolerance: a snake. It’s an apt, touching moral, but the climax may confuse some readers as they try to figure out the precise mechanics of the embrace.
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to pet a porcupine.” (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-29710-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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