A delightful voyage well worth taking.
An exploration of the oceans yields stunning discoveries.
A brown-haired, tan-skinned child descends beneath the waves in a wide-windowed Dream Submarine to watch as marine life beds down for the night. What amazing sights there are to behold from that vantage point as the sub sails through the world’s waters. Beautifully colored fish and other marine creatures—some familiar, some likely lesser known—are visible up close in all their glory. Some bear unusual names—soapfish, sweetlips, stargazers, maomao—and some demonstrate intriguing habits (shrimp clean between eels’ teeth; some fish change colors or patterns). Then, there’s a glittery surprise as the submarine dives down and we see a light show with displays of glittery bioluminescence (though that term isn’t used). Children who weren’t previously aware of this underwater phenomenon will be amazed to discover that some sea creatures have the ability to light up because the waters in which they dwell are so dark they must illuminate their own undersea paths. More surprises are in store when the submarine eventually rises from the sea, and the young seafarer surveys the stars in the dark skies above—enough “to make a wish for every fish and each creature in the sea.” This lovely book, expressed in smooth, gentle prose, makes a snuggly bedtime choice. The beautifully colored, crisp, clean digital illustrations capture some fascinating denizens and environs of the deep.
A delightful voyage well worth taking. (map of the Dream Submarine’s voyage, information on the ocean animals depicted in the story, more to explore, ocean zones) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224795
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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