A good-hearted picture book with an unusual, fictional take on metamorphosis.
Leaf and Lou are ants who live at the base of the cherry tree where their beloved friend, the eccentric caterpillar Gramma Tinker, has her laboratory and her home.
After a long day of taking care of larval ants and tidying up tunnels, Leaf and Lou love to visit Gramma Tinker and see her inventions. In the 77 days of her life, Gramma Tinker has invented all kinds of things, ranging from a 14-pedal bicycle for caterpillars to a special pair of scissors that help Leaf cut leaves for food. Leaf and Lou are excited because Gramma Tinker is working on her most daring invention yet: a silky contraption called the Wingmaker 77. In order to perfect her latest innovation, Gramma Tinker asks Leaf and Lou to help her do some research. Together, Leaf, Lou, and Gramma Tinker interview a hummingbird, a fly, and a bat to find out more about what it takes to fly. After these conversations, Gramma Tinker announces that she’s ready for an adventure and asks Leaf and Lou to come back in two weeks. When they return, everything is different—and more exciting than they could have possibly imagined. This reimagination of a caterpillar’s experience of metamorphosis introduces a preschool science concept while also encouraging children to use their imaginations. The pastel-hued cartoon illustrations complement the book’s sweet and gentle tone. While the book is hardly scientifically accurate, the story is entertaining and creative. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-17.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 20.9% of actual size.)
A good-hearted picture book with an unusual, fictional take on metamorphosis. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0237-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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
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