OVER ON THE FARM

Name: OVER ON THE FARM
Author: Marianne Berkes
ISBN: 978-1-58469-548-6

by Marianne Berkes ; illustrated by Cathy Morrison ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2016

While the activities and song will be valuable learning tools, the artwork leaves something to be desired, especially in a...

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Berkes continues her “Over in the Meadow” habitat songs with this look at animals on a farm.

Over on the farm, a hen and her one chick peck, a nanny goat and her two kids nibble, and a cow and her three calves swish (at a bumblebee), and so the pattern continues through kittens, foals, mouse pups, owlets, turkey poults, ducklings, and piglets. The names of the animal babies are in a colored type to set them off, though the numbers are not given similar treatment; a prominent numeral appears on each spread. Berkes’ verses are as singable as ever, but the artwork just doesn’t match that of previous books in the series: Jill Dubin’s atmospheric cut-paper collages and Jeanette Canyon’s amazing polymer clay scenes. By comparison, Morrison’s pictures, which have the fuzzy-edged and indistinct look of digital illustrations, come up short, the spreads sometimes seeming cramped and some of the animals’ expressions off-putting. Backmatter separates fact from fiction, provides further information about each baby animal, describes the seasons on a farm, gives the music and hand motions for the song, and provides activities in the academic areas of math, science, language arts, art, “From Farm to Table,” and movement and music to round out the learning.

While the activities and song will be valuable learning tools, the artwork leaves something to be desired, especially in a series that has previously held such high standards. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-58469-548-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dawn Publications

Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
OVER ON A DESERT
by Marianne Berkes ; illustrated by Jill Dubin

- BOOK REVIEW
BABY ON BOARD
by Marianne Berkes ; illustrated by Cathy Morrison

- BOOK REVIEW
OVER IN THE GRASSLANDS
by Marianne Berkes ; illustrated by Jill Dubin

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)