A warm and—in more ways than one—very cool story about discovering one’s own identity.
Deciding that penguin life isn’t cool, Clive takes steps to change things.
Clive Penguin is suffering an identity crisis. Being a penguin isn’t so hot. Clive’s sick of the “same old snow” and the “same old penguins.” Clive wants out of the frigid environment, longing to be somewhere else or even “someone else.” The fed-up penguin decides to skip town, believing that something wonderful must be right around the corner. Then Clive makes an epic discovery. Readers will giggle that Clive ignores a colossal whale in favor of something orange floating in the sea—a “unique, fashionable, versatile” tea cozy covering a teapot. Clive models the object in various ways, then returns to huddle among the penguins, sporting the cozy as a hat. However, lest readers think Clive has found a happily-ever-after ending, by the book’s conclusion, our hero is “boiling.” This drily witty story will have young readers chuckling, but it’ll make them think, too, for it’s about being unsure of yourself and where you belong and taking steps toward finding your place in the world. Clive’s return to the colony proves that while familiarity can breed discontent, it may also bring warmth and safety. The lively, uncluttered illustrations feature blues, whites, oranges, and yellows.
A warm and—in more ways than one—very cool story about discovering one’s own identity. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781454955214
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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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