In what seems like a new golden age of early readers, this just isn’t a standout.
Despite appealing pictures of mischievous bears, this story lacks teeth.
Bear cubs Pete and Gabby lament the end of camping season at Happy Time Campground and go to town in search of people and food. Bear-savvy readers may note a sign in Kirkland’s opening illustration reading, “Don’t Feed The Bears,” which suggests that Pete and Gabby have already encountered people who know not to interact with them. Nevertheless, in the ensuing brief chapters, the cubs are mystified by the townspeople’s fearful reactions on a soccer field, in an ice-cream shop and at the post office and fire station. It’s unclear whether the bears’ dialogue is understandable to the humans—especially when they respond, “PEOPLE!” to the humans’ cries of “BEARS!” Ultimately, Pete and Gabby occupy an odd space of quasi-anthropomorphism: They are bearlike in their presumed threat to people, and yet they can stuff mailboxes, wave to passersby and revel in slapstick mishaps in town. Finally, they simply ride back to the forest atop a fire truck after their “friend” the ranger comes to fetch them—no tranquilizer guns required.
In what seems like a new golden age of early readers, this just isn’t a standout. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8075-0595-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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