by Juliette MacIver ; illustrated by Cat Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015
There is a measure of charm, but it’s light fare—not enough to make a streamside picnic.
Friendship and foolery on the river.
Most days on the water get off to a promising start, and so does MacIver’s. Yak and Gnu head out for some good time in their crafts. “Yak in a kayak, blackberry black, / Gnu in a blueberry-blue canoe, / sing a sea song that’s sung by two: / ... / No one else / but you and me / can float a boat / or sail the sea.” Chapman’s ink-and-watercolor artwork has a spring-fresh quality, as if she were capturing the scene while lying along a riverbank with her sketch pad in the early-season sun. Cumulatively—though the counting is a give-or-take proposition here—other river rats join in, working their way into an armada, all kinds of crazy crafts that end in an oceangoing liner filled with...yaks and gnus. Good, goofy fun, that. But some of the action is not just cockamamie, it’s off its rocker: “A snazzy snail setting sail...” except snazzy snail is in a motorboat. “A snail! A calf! Jumpin’ jive!” Jive what? Nobody jivin’ here. It does, however, rhyme with five. And though some of the couplets take wing—“a stout pig afloat / on an outrigger boat, / and a rat and her clan / on a catamaran!”—others just don’t fit into their surroundings, like that “laughing calf / aboard a raft.”
There is a measure of charm, but it’s light fare—not enough to make a streamside picnic. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7561-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More by Juliette MacIver
BOOK REVIEW
by Juliette MacIver ; illustrated by Carla Martell
BOOK REVIEW
by Juliette MacIver ; illustrated by Sarah Davis
BOOK REVIEW
by Juliette MacIver ; illustrated by Sarah Davis
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More by Pip Jones
BOOK REVIEW
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie
BOOK REVIEW
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Laura Hughes
BOOK REVIEW
by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Ella Okstad
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
Share your opinion of this book
More by Sandra Boynton
BOOK REVIEW
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton
BOOK REVIEW
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton
BOOK REVIEW
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.