Sisters Harper and duPont team up once again (I’m Not Going to Chase the Cat Today!, 2000) to create a stridently silly tale to tickle funnybones. A cacophonous ruckus emanating from a young girl’s room leads her mother to ponder what exactly is going on behind that closed door. Relayed in jaunty rhymes, parent, canine, and even the infant twins provide a hilarious commentary on the root cause of all that uproar. The absurdities escalate, as each new suggestion is more outrageous than the last: dancing bears, hopping hippos, and playful gorillas are all offered up as plausible sources. “Sounds like a rodeo right upstairs. Or a bunch of rhinos playing musical chairs!” However, when Nora’s mother, unable to stand the suspense any longer, asks her what’s going on, a demure Nora offers that classic response: “Oh, nothing.” And the picture shows all of those possible culprits in their stuffed forms. The format of this romp is more akin to a comic strip than a traditional picture book, with the text contained within thought bubbles above various characters’ heads. DuPont’s wacky illustrations suit the offbeat tale and free-spirited Nora just fine; amidst pictures of two-stepping elephants and waltzing behemoths, a gleeful Nora can be discovered cutting loose. Loads of fun to read aloud—the text and art just beg for exaggerated theatrics on the reader’s part: this is one rollicking ride. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: June 30, 2001
ISBN: 0-06-029136-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2001
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom.
Holy bedtime, Batman!
In a sleepy-looking neighborhood under a dusky cerulean sky, a young, brown-haired, white boy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed: he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, picks up his toys, and feeds his fish. In a parallel visual narrative, beckoned by the cat's-eye–yellow bat-signal, Batman keeps Gotham safe for another night by catching crooks, locking them away, and avenging those who have been wronged. Though the two characters are quite different, through a carefully flexible narrative, Dahl and Beavers weave a convincing tale of just how similar they might be. “It’s time to take care of business” describes the child’s trip to the potty and Batman’s dive down a manhole equally well, for instance. Beavers' art is visually striking and vibrantly hued, perfect for keeping young eyes glued to each page. Dahl's economical text is cadenced with a gentle lilt, just right for a bedtime read-aloud. Young fans of the caped crusader will delight in spying their favorite characters. In the already-overstuffed bedtime-book market, this is certainly a niche read, but it hits its mark well, delivering fun without darkness. A “bedtime checklist” at the end aptly includes “story time.”
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-732-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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