Music and dance work their magic on a witch—and readers.
Welcome to a community party deep in the woods.
A hare shares his plans for a nighttime woodland dance with his two good friends, an owl and a hedgehog. It won’t be any ordinary party but one in which everyone will bring something, either food or music, and everyone will be invited, “even the wicked witch.” But she is not in a good mood, is too busy anyway, and says no. Being a witch, she is standing over her pot cooking up a potion even as musical notes enter her kitchen. The potion, alas, goes awry, and the witch blames the outside noise. Bent on revenge, she flies to the scene of the party only to be warmly greeted by the hare. Invited to dance, she is soon swept up in steps of joyous abandon. This import from the Netherlands is a literary, rather lengthy tale that can be read by adults as lessons in community and the power of music to bring joy into the hearts of even the wicked. For children, it is an inviting tale of animals sharing good times with friends and with the neighborhood baddie. Delicate pen-and-ink–and-watercolor illustrations with softly hued backgrounds of orange, pink, green, and gray effectively convey the congenial setting, personable partygoers, and free-spirited movement.
Music and dance work their magic on a witch—and readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-935954-50-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lemniscaat USA
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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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