A lively reminder about the most important meal of the day.
A hungry crocodile tries to push through till lunch but may have to nibble on a customer or two.
Croc works as a river ferry. Various animal passengers sit on his back as he shuttles them down the waterway. One morning when Croc oversleeps, he has to forgo his usual bowl of Snappy Snacks. Frantic showering and tooth brushing (“Can’t / GURGLE / be / GARGLE / late / BLURG”) take precedence. He can’t even grab his favorite doughnuts on the way to work, because the Hippo Hut is all sold out! As animals climb aboard, Croc can’t help envisioning them as tasty snacks. The tension grows as Croc licks his lips, imagining a delectable meal of capybaras and a warthog hot dog. With eyes squeezed tight and fingers clamped around his jaws, he’s trying with all his might to resist. Just when Croc can’t take it anymore, a sweet friend with an even sweeter treat saves the day. Told mostly in speech bubbles, with a sassy unseen narrator who breaks in every once in a while, the story skips along at a fast clip but also leaves room for many dramatic pauses to heighten the effect. Larmour relies on a fanciful color scheme—dominated by pinks, greens, and blues—that keeps the tale from becoming scary, no matter how ravenous Croc gets.
A lively reminder about the most important meal of the day. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781525308345
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Sweet and silly—good enough for Halloween
The barnyard animals love Halloween. Farmer Brown does not. Sounds like the perfect time for tricks and treats!
Since Farmer Brown wants nothing to do with the scary holiday, “he leaves a bowl of candy on the porch….draws the shades and locks the door.” Out in the barn, though, the party is just getting started. Saturated watercolors show Cow dressed as a skeleton, the chickens looking quite ghostly and the sheep donning witch hats. As field mice and cats arrive, creepy sounds begin. The “crunch, crunch, crunching” and the “creak, creak, creaking” lead to a “tap, tap, tapping.” Hearing them, Farmer Brown peeks out his window to investigate. Readers will chuckle and easily recognize “the dark creature standing beneath the trees.” The farmer, however, runs to his bedroom to pull the covers up over his head. Now the sounds repeat, as the figure comes closer. This time, though, the tapping is followed by a “quack, quack, quackle.” Wait—“Quackle??” Farmer Brown goes out to the porch to find the candy bowl gone and a note on the door announcing, “Halloween Party at the barn!” The chorus of onomatopoeic phrases throughout the briskly paced text guarantees an interactive read-aloud, though fans of Duck’s earlier outings will miss their satiric bite.
Sweet and silly—good enough for Halloween . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6553-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
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