Grade-schoolers interested in science and nature—but not too old for talking animals—will find a lot to interest them here.
A tortoise tourist and his desert-rodent buddy make their way to the Grand Canyon to exchange recipes in this travel adventure by debut author Ahern and veteran illustrator Brooks (Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society, 2016, etc.).
Tino the tortoise and Rudi the jerboa, who live in the Mojave Desert, decide to travel to Arizona’s Kaibab National Forest to present a new recipe for pine seeds to Penny, a Kaibab squirrel who’s bored of eating her favorite meal the same old ways. Tino is apparently a savvy traveler; when Rudi says that they should go on a trip, Tino immediately makes plans and starts booking tourist excursions. After a train ride to what a helpful owl calls a “big hole in the ground,” the friends take a mule ride, do some whitewater rafting, and finally make it to the north rim of the canyon and the ponderosa pine trees where the Kaibab squirrels make their home. During their journey, the friends ask directions at every stop, which allows readers to learn more about the squirrels and their habitat but also contrasts with Tino’s pre-made travel plans. Brooks’ humanoid animals experience the Grand Canyon in the same ways that a young human visitor might. The casting is clever: a park ranger is a raccoon (reminiscent of Ranger Rick); a cougar rents out unflappable (nonhumanoid) mules; and a ranch-owning rabbit warns the travelers against getting in the way of big-horn sheep or sitting on rattlesnakes. Brooks depicts the humanlike animals differently enough that it doesn’t feel strange for other, more traditional animals to act like their real-world counterparts. The descriptions of the travelers’ adventures are appealing, and kids are sure to want to experience them in person. Details about animal habitats and traits, particularly those of the rare Kaibab squirrel, may also help spark an interest in nature. Some pages are dense with text, which may intimidate some younger readers, but the pictures are dominant enough to hold lap-readers’ interest.
Grade-schoolers interested in science and nature—but not too old for talking animals—will find a lot to interest them here.Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-941821-45-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WestWinds Press
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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