More Toy Story than Corduroy, a satisfying tale of unexpected friendship.
The stuffed bear, welcomed by the dog, insists it is “a fancy kids’ toy with lots of pockets,” and indeed the vest it wears is festooned with them. It is not meant to be a disgusting, chewed, and torn-up dog toy. After being ignored by the little girl one too many times, the bear is eventually thrown into “the wedge” between her bed and the wall to join her other discards. The bear finally relents, giving in to the dog’s persistent cajoling to play and ultimately have lots of fun as a dog toy. Black-outlined cartoons of a scruffy, floppy-eared mutt and a smug brown bear dressed in a utility vest expand on the dialogue-only narrative. The text does not use speech balloons to attribute the dialogue but rather a different typeface for the various characters. Empathy for the bear builds as the girl’s callous actions continue. Choosing friends can be a tricky road to follow in life and rejection a difficult reality to accept. Readers will cheer when the dog’s boundless exuberance eventually counters the girl’s incessant dismissal to create a satisfying bond, and dog lovers will certainly appreciate the sentiments behind the dog’s role in the story. The girl, the only human in the story, is a child of color. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)
More Toy Story than Corduroy, a satisfying tale of unexpected friendship. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11901-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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