A wily nod to the power of reading.
A clever—er, clover—thief is outwitted.
With immense joy, a scruffy boar finds a big patch of green clover. He quickly sprawls across it to claim his territory. The clover needs just a bit more time to bloom; Roy is willing to wait. However, he warily eyes his neighbor, Jarvis, a gopher who would also enjoy munching on the sweet, green treat. “Don’t even think about stealing my patch of clover, Jarvis,” Roy grumbles. Jarvis assures Roy he would never do such a thing. But he does have a cookbook that he would like to share. It’s called How To Cook With Clover. Roy starts to read the recipes and is inspired. When the book calls for added ingredients, Roy ambles off to find them. When he returns, part of his clover patch is gone! Roy is furious. He resolves to guard his clover day and night. But Jarvis keeps offering books…and Roy’s clover patch keeps getting smaller and smaller. That is—until Roy goes to the library to find “the right book.” In both text and illustration, Parsley strikes distinct, humorous tones for each character, and the twist at the end is giggleworthy and offbeat. There is a distinct Looney Tunes feel to the story, enlivened by both the literary theme and the fact that their relationship, though antagonistic, is not that of predator to prey.
A wily nod to the power of reading. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-53428-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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