A penguin stages a breakout from the zoo, aided and abetted by young Tina, in this toast to good intentions, no matter they go astray. On a school visit to the zoo, Tina finds herself being followed by a penguin—“schlep, schlep”—who wordlessly conveys to her his intent to escape. Tina decides to help, handing over her jacket and pink beret as a disguise. They make it back to Tina’s house, where they dodge her inquisitive mother—“When did you get that penguin?” her mother asks. “What penguin?” Tina replies, before fobbing the creature off as a stuffed animal—but they soon start running into difficulties. If the penguin gets too hot, it molts like crazy; when it takes a bath with Tina, she must endure cold water and ice cubes; one afternoon she returns home to find the penguin in the refrigerator, happy if obvious. Late one night, the penguin takes his silent leave through the open window. His destination is unknown, but Tina soon spots a familiar looking animal on a nature show, about penguins in Antarctica, and one of them is wearing a pink beret. The Animal Liberation Front will particularly enjoy this title; so, too, will anyone with a fondness for animals and an appreciation for being footloose. The art is as droll as the story, stiff-limbed characters register surprise with little round mouths and eyes. Funny bits demonstrate the text; don’t miss the penguin in the refrigerator or the room full of penguin feathers. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-55074-947-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
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