bookshelf

THE CAT BARKED?

Name: THE CAT BARKED?
Author: Lydia Monks
ISBN: 0-8037-2338-5

by Lydia Monks ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

bookshelf

This candy-colored tribute to cats starts with a particular cat bemoaning, in verse, its lot compared to a dog’s life. Dogs go for those long walks, yip and yap, chase crooks, and get all the plum roles in Hollywood. Then the cat’s mistress intervenes: “Silly old cat,/If your wish did come true,/You’d have to do things/You wouldn’t want to do.” Chewing bones, being led around on a leash, fetching, and performing silly tricks are among the disadvantages mentioned; next, the advantages are enumerated, such as seeing in the dark, catching mice, climbing trees, pouncing, and “In sunny spots and soft places/Cats like to take naps,/And they’re just the right size/For cuddling in laps.” Readers will be firmly converted to the superiority of the cat’s life, and pleasingly distracted by the high-wattage collage artwork. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-8037-2338-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT THE LADYBUG HEARD NEXT
by Julia Donaldson ; illustrated by Lydia Monks

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT THE LADYBUG HEARD
by Julia Donaldson & illustrated by Lydia Monks

- BOOK REVIEW
WAKING BEAUTY
by Leah Wilcox & illustrated by Lydia Monks

bookshelf

QUACK AND COUNT

by Keith Baker & illustrated by Keith Baker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1999

bookshelf

Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-15-292858-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
LMNO PEA-QUEL
by Keith Baker ; illustrated by Keith Baker

- BOOK REVIEW
HAP-PEA ALL YEAR
by Keith Baker ; illustrated by Keith Baker

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE GREEN PEAS
by Keith Baker ; illustrated by Keith Baker

bookshelf

BIG BROWN BEAR

by David McPhail & illustrated by David McPhail ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

bookshelf

Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)