Bob the rooster is going through an identity crisis in Pearson’s (G-Rex, 2000, etc.) clever barnyard tale that combines subtle humor with colorful watercolor illustrations and lively rough-line drawings. Bob happily clucks along with his chicken coopmates until Henrietta, a cat, tells him frankly, “You need to stop clucking and learn how to crow so you can wake up the girls every morning. That’s what roosters do.” Bob, taking Henrietta’s advice and a newfound ability to meow, sets off from the chicken coop to find a rooster who can teach him to crow properly. Along the way, Bob learns how to woof and wag from a dog, ribbet and hop from frogs, and moo and eat bugs from cows. A comical scenario unfolds when, as Bob is walking through the trees at night, “a stranger called out, ‘Whoo? Whoo? Whoo?’ Not wanting to be rude, Bob whispered, ‘Bob, Bob, Bob’ . . . and so it went all night long, over and over again.” Finally, Fred the rooster is able to teach Bob how to crow, and Bob returns triumphant to the chicken coop. But the story is not over yet. A fox decides to disturb the peaceful scene, and Bob’s menagerie of acquired animal sounds, dancing in waves across the page, is the only thing to scare the hungry predator away. From the blooming yellow and orange day lilies and cattails to Bob’s striking black-and-white plumage, Pearson has added her unique whimsical touch to the pastoral beauty of the countryside. A lighthearted, wonderfully illustrated story. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2002
ISBN: 0-374-39957-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
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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