A fitting sequel to Freddy’s original adventure, packed with facts accompanied by cheerful illustrations.
Snow, snow, and more snow. What’s a frog to do? Dean’s (Freddy the Frogcaster, 2013) irrepressible amphibian puts his weather-safety skills to good use in this snowy sequel.
After saving the town picnic from a big thunderstorm, Freddy has become known not only for his accurate weather predictions (he has his own “backyard weather station”), but also his disaster preparedness. After school, the cheerful amphibian has a “special job” at the local Frog News Network with broadcasters Sally Croaker and Polly Woggins. On a class field trip to the station, Freddy identifies a winter storm that will soon hit the town of Lilypad. While his friends rejoice in the future snow day, Freddy realizes that the storm will be serious: Lilypad is about to have a blizzard. Freddy is used to preparing for bad weather, so he thinks through everything he and his friends will need for the incoming storm. Freddy’s emergency blizzard kit includes a radio, first-aid kit, water, food, a flashlight, and blankets—and he makes sure that he packs one for Polly Woggins, who will be reporting live from the news van during the blizzard. As Freddy watches the broadcast and the snow comes down, the power goes out, and he has to wait until morning to find out whether his friend is safe and sound. Blizzard preparedness may not seem like an adventurous topic, but Dean keeps the pacing exactly right to create tension without scaring younger readers. Not only are they likely to become involved in the story, they may learn something valuable about blizzard preparation. Cox’s brightly colored illustrations of a variety of humanoid frogs (reminiscent of Muppets) capture the drama. The frequency and size of the images help break up the text, which varies from two sentences to four full paragraphs. Though the style of the story might appeal to very young readers, the content—especially in the helpful science notes included at the end—is more appropriate for a grade school audience.
A fitting sequel to Freddy’s original adventure, packed with facts accompanied by cheerful illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1621572541
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Regnery Kids
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p>
Caregiver-child love abounds in this rhyming board book full of animal puns.
One thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of sweet (and groanworthy) sentiments in this book. Rossner writes, “Giving HOGS and kisses / sends me to the moon!” and, “I’m such a lucky DUCK. / You really QUACK me up!” The book progresses entirely in this fashion, with a new animal pair and pun with each page turn. It reads well as a book for a caregiver to share with a lap-sitting child. On that mark, it succeeds in providing plenty of opportunities for giggles and snuggles. That said, at times the meter is forced, making the cadence a bit stilted, and the cuddles/bubbles rhyme is a dubious one. This is an issue for a book that will almost solely be read aloud. Gibson’s illustrations are very charming; the animals and insects with big eyes and expressive faces have high appeal. The warmth of the animals’ embraces and cuddles translates well from the page, inviting the same snuggles from readers. Decorated eggs appear on each page, and the bunny pair from the cover features prominently. Overall, the concept and message of the book are high interest and age-appropriate, but it doesn’t stand out from the very crowded shelf of “I love you, little one!” books similar to it.
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p> (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2343-8
Page Count: 25
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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