This rhythmic, imaginative romp practically reads itself aloud.
Zoo animals of every size work together to turn an abandoned mall into a new zoo.
Takoda the anthropomorphic tiger cub thinks the old building and grounds would make a wonderful zoo. (It’s entirely unclear why a new one’s warranted, as these animals seem to be self-governing, with no humans in sight.) His fellow animals are up to the challenge, and readers will be too as they count the animals on each page: “Two rough, tough rhinos” with bulldozers, three lemurs with paint rollers, four oryx cutting windows, etc. But the rhinos spurn the insects when they offer their help: “ ‘You bugs are too small.’ / ‘You’re pests. You’re annoying. / You don’t count at all.’ ” Before long the amusement park–like zoo is complete, but a new problem arises: Those rhinos won’t share the water slide. “Then silently, stealthily, down from the sky…” it’s bugs to the rescue, proving to even the rhinos that everyone counts. The final spread is a riot of fun as the animals enjoy the slide, and those with good eyes and some patience will be able to spy the insects. Don’t miss the jokes on the endpapers (adults will surely hear them multiple times). Sierra’s rollicking rhymes are fun to read aloud and listen to, and Brown’s gouache and pencil illustrations give children lots of details to pore over, but it doesn’t do for counting what the team’s Wild About Books (2004) did for reading.
This rhythmic, imaginative romp practically reads itself aloud. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-64620-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
