Lively, playful, singalong fun.
A Martian gets more than he bargained for when he abducts some farm animals.
Written to the tune of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” this frolicsome ditty follows a curious alien as he wonders about the animals that he sees on Earth. “With a ZERP ZAP here, / and a ZERP ZAP there,” the sheep, cat, cow, and pig all go flying up into the spaceship; the light-skinned farmer stays behind, but the alien zaps up the farmer’s overalls and boots and happily dons them. With three eyes and a bulbous pink head, Old MacMartian attempts to run some experiments on the animals, but the livestock have other ideas. The cow munches on everything in sight (including the Martian’s prized marshmallows), the pig splatters mud everywhere, and the sheep and cat run amok. Old MacMartian and his three-eyed dog are overwhelmed. To put a stop to the mayhem, he returns the barnyard animals to the farmer (“BACK TO EARTH YOU GO!”). Storytime audiences will delight in the repeated titular refrain (“E-I-UFO”), and space enthusiasts will enjoy seeing the intricate mechanisms and control panel inside the spaceship. The rollicking narrative may take some practice to avoid falling back into the familiar lyrics of the original, but it’s easy enough to grasp.
Lively, playful, singalong fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781797223896
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
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
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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