As a study in European impressions of America, this fascinates; as a representation of New York, it’s more than a little...
A tourist’s view of New York City, from close to the pavement.
The low-slung canine of the title sports an American-flag makeover (with stars on his rump), and he is telling his buddies back in Paris what his trip to New York City was like. The tone is jaunty and casual and just a little satiric: “And check out my new look! So chic, right? I saw it everywhere.” His is a very doggy approach, as he recounts seeing foolish folks running in place (on gym treadmills), without any balls to chase, and others painting one another’s paws (in a nail salon). He is particularly impressed with the dog walkers and marvels at doggy bags. A note indicates Kebbi drew this in colored pencils entirely from his memories of student days in New York City. The images are made in a jittery and lively line and color, as if just dashed off. The crowds are often depicted from the dog’s point of view, the people disproportionately male, when gender is identifiable; one recurrent figure is a Hasid in a long black coat and tall black hat who stands out in the crowd scenes. There is some ethnic diversity, but many of the figures are so generic it is hard to judge.
As a study in European impressions of America, this fascinates; as a representation of New York, it’s more than a little idiosyncratic. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-59270-172-8
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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
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
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