What does it take to get a pig aloft?
Sibling pigs Henry and Henrietta of Pigs and a Blanket (2016) are back, with Henry in control of the blanket they learned to share in their previous outing (it makes a great superhero cape). He’s determined to be the first pig to fly. When his taped-on cardboard wings result in a crash, Henrietta suggests they fly a kite…which Henry rides for crash No. 2. Oscillating-fan jet pack? There’s a third crash, and Henrietta wonders if she will need a helmet if she continues to help. Balloons? Feathers? Trampoline? No flight in sight. Henry gives up. But his sister, who had been trying to make a King Kong movie before helping Henry try to fly, has an imaginative idea to bring his dream to life. Turns out pigs can fly pretty high if they have the right special effects. Burks’ enthusiastic tale of porcine perseverance is told entirely in dialogue between its pink, porky principals. Bright colors and wide-eyed cartoon characters in the illustrations have a pleasantly textured, chalky look and extend and complement the text, easily communicating Henry’s excitement.
Young dreamers and aviators (and piglets) will respond with delight. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2524-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Dec. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A bilingual love poem of admiration and respect for the millions of monarch butterflies that journey south to Mexico every year.
From a chrysalis on the title page, Señorita Mariposa invites readers to follow the monarch butterfly as it embarks on a journey spanning thousands of miles, “Over mountains capped with snow… / To the deserts down below.” In the same manner, the monarch butterfly exiting the chrysalis at the end of the book then invites readers to flip back to the beginning and restart the journey. Almada Rivero’s warm and friendly illustrations showcase the various people and animals the monarch encounters in its 3,000-mile journey, including a couple of brown-skinned children who welcome Señorita Mariposa to Mexico as the text reads, “Can’t believe how far you’ve come.” Gundersheimer’s recounting of the lepidoptera’s journey is told in a bilingual poem, English set in a serif type and Spanish set in sans-serif. Like the butterfly traveling south and north, the languages switch prominence, displaying in the larger font the principal—and rhyming—language in each spread. Although at times distracting, this technique is a valiant attempt to give equal importance to each language. Backmatter includes facts on the round trip the butterflies undertake, the “super generation” that makes the trek south, and a call to action to protect the monarchs as they slowly lose their habitats.
Uplifting and inspiring of further research. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-4070-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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