Harebrained fun that will leave you giggling.
Beware of high-speed bunnies!
Readers should prepare for a fast-moving adventure when a fluffle of rabbits embarks on a high-seas adventure. Bunnies of varying colors and sizes board a motorboat, a shark’s mouth emblazoned on the front, for a day of fun in the sun. But while these bunnies might be cute, they aren’t great drivers, proving to be menaces to other creatures hoping for a relaxing day at the beach: “The penguins dive and paddle. / The turtles surf and swim, / when WHOOSH goes a speedboat / and knocks poor Piggy in! / SQUEAL! // Bunnies in a boat! / Bunnies in a boat! Dashing and a-splashing! / Let’s hope they stay afloat!” It’s a raucously fun read and one that storytellers will make the most of, as the action only gets more dramatic from here on. The illustrations capture the chaos of the runaway speedboat but are so busy that large groups may miss some of the details. Readers who enjoy poring over every page, however, will love the madcap adventure and the reactions of both the bunnies and their seaside victims. A visual subplot follows a pair of thieving squirrels who set out to steal a large pearl and wind up entangled with the bunny boaters. The ending hints at the possibility of a sequel, which should delight many a reader. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Harebrained fun that will leave you giggling. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2833-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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