Children and caregivers alike will enjoy this charming tale about a dog who must find out if he’s a baked potato, a...
A cozy story about a curious pup with a slight identity crisis who runs into a host of characters on his way to reunion with his owner.
A stylish, mature lady has few loves: potatoes, dogs, and walks in the rain. When the lady adopts an adorable little brown dog, she notices that he is “smooth” and “warm” and that she could just “[eat] him right up,” so she combines two of her loves and starts calling him Baked Potato. The pair eat dinner by the fireplace and cuddle up next to each other in bed—they seem to have the perfect arrangement. But one eventful day, the lady steps out, and the dog’s adventure begins. Venturing out in search of the lady, he meets a big, rude dog, a fox, and an owl, all of which assure him he is not a baked potato (though the fox does think he’d be “good with carrots and onions”) and suggest alternatives. The digital illustrations bring a sense of vitality while maintaining adorableness, creating the scenes with firm lines and bright colors. The use of vibrant reds, greens, and blues is striking against the white page and helps amp both excitement and coziness. The lady has brown skin and puffy, dark brown curls.
Children and caregivers alike will enjoy this charming tale about a dog who must find out if he’s a baked potato, a groundhog, or a bunny. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5592-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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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