Smoothly written and gently informative, this is a nice addition to the elementary-level nature shelf.
With its rubbery ducklike bill, reptilian walk, and venomous spurs, the puzzling platypus is a mammal like no other.
This curious Australian creature lays eggs and then provides milk for its young. Whiting’s introduction emphasizes physiology, habits, diet, and feeding behavior. There's a two-level text for reading aloud or alone: a chronicle of a male platypus’s nighttime activities, constantly in motion as he forages in a pool surrounded by gum trees, plus a paragraph of extra, relevant facts presented in a smaller font. A page of expository backmatter summarizes the animal’s major characteristics, tells where they can be found, and mentions threats to its survival. An index also provides a list of important platypus words (bill, monotreme, spurs). Jackson's mixed-media illustrations have the appearance of paint applied over lines done with a red pencil or thin brush. With their dark colors and wavery lines they're sometimes obscure—as is the actual animal in the wild. First published in Australia, this storylike portrayal would pair well with Sneed B. Collard and Andrew Plant’s A Platypus, Probably (2005), which tells more about the animal's ancient history and natural history and has considerably more detailed, lifelike illustrations.
Smoothly written and gently informative, this is a nice addition to the elementary-level nature shelf. (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8098-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
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
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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