Madcap text and droll illustrations make this “the best party ever!”—as Edmund’s brother exclaims.
Elephants and memory are linked proverbially, but poor Edmund totally forgets everything his mother tells him to buy for his younger brother’s birthday party.
He complains to his mom that he is forgetful, so she teaches him a song that Edmund sings throughout the book: “Elephants always remember, / Elephants don’t get it wrong. / Elephants always remember, / As long as they sing this song!” She also hands him a shopping list: balloons, party hats, confetti, wrapped gift, cake, paper plates, and napkins. At the bottom is the stern instruction “Don’t forget to fetch Aunt Myrtle!” Naturally, Edmund immediately leaves the list behind, and Colin, a tiny cricket in a long overcoat who appears in every spread, tries to help him. Colin has a great memory, but every time the insect calls out the item Edmund is supposed to buy, Edmund doesn’t hear Colin properly and the fun begins. His yellow wagon becomes crowded with all kinds of animals cavorting in funny clothes. Instead of “twenty pointy party hats,” for instance, Edmund finds “seven sassy dancing cats!” Kids will enjoy Edmund’s mistakes, realized in zany cartoons full of hilarious details. Edmund’s mom is dismayed (not least because it turns out she’s also forgotten something important) but his little brother is delighted. The amusing text is meant to be read aloud, although the detailed illustrations will best be enjoyed by individual children or small groups. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.25-by-20.88-inch double-page spreads viewed at 27% of actual size.)
Madcap text and droll illustrations make this “the best party ever!”—as Edmund’s brother exclaims. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-913337-39-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scribblers/Sterling
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
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
Totes adorbs.
A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.
Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.
Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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