Books with a Kick
A Book Review Column
Linda D. Labbo
Reviews Section Editor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
Editor's Note: My grandmother used to say that there were things in life that gave her a real “kick.” She enjoyed these little surprises that allowed her to experience a special insight, savor a moment, or even have a good, old-fashioned belly laugh. The seven books reviewed in this column each have a special little “kick” -- something that offers children and adults special opportunities for admiring the craft, themes, or language used by authors and illustrators. Topics addressed range from a humorous exploration of feelings to the modern-day life of dogs to the vanishing world of cowboys. These engaging books are bound to delight, tickle, and inform young and old readers alike.
The books reviewed are as follows:
L:inks on publisher names lead to pages in the publisher's online catalog for the particular book reviewed here. Links within these online catalogs frequently provide additional information about authors and illustrators.
Arf! Beg! Catch! Dogs from A to Z. Written by Henry Horenstein. New York: Cartwheel (an imprint of Scholastic), 1999. ISBN 0-590-03380-8. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 3 to 8.
This ABC book is sure to provide a kick for anyone who enjoys the beauty and playful antics of dogs. Pages reveal pictures of a golden retriever barking an eloquent “Arf,” a beagle sitting up to beg, and a German shepherd who represents the word quick. Clear snapshots and one-word captions inform the reader that Dalmatians like to ride in cars with their heads jutting through the window. Puppies like to be cuddled and loved by their owners. Some dogs are mutts; all dogs are born in a litter; some dogs are hairy -- and some are even itchy. Dogs go to see doctors called vets, and an x-ray of a dog reveals his bone structure. From the picture of a curly tail to one of a wet dog shaking off a swirling rainstorm of drops, youngsters are bound to find much to discuss. Alert adults who share this book with children will find many occasions to help them take note of the sound-symbol relationship for each letter of the alphabet.
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The Cowboy ABC. Written and illustrated by Chris Demarest. New York: DK, 1999. ISBN 0-7894-2509-2. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
As an award-winning illustrator or author of more than 40 books for children, Chris Demarest brings a great deal of experience to this recent publication. In an author's note at the end of the book, readers find out that television cowboys sparked Demarest's imagination when he was a child; however, the real-life adventures of cowboys on a cattle drive inspired The Cowboy ABC. Vibrant watercolor washes with pen-and-ink details bring to life spotted Appaloosa horses, majestic elk, and strumming guitars. A farrier carefully shoes a horse's hoof and a lariat whips through the air to bring back a stray calf. After reading this well-crafted concept book, youngsters will know all about quirts, reins, jinglebobs, and many other aspects of life on a cattle trail. The “kick” in this book is the obvious admiration the author has for a vanishing way of life. After reading, children may wish to research, design, and craft their own ABC concept books about an occupation or way of life that they admire.
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Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round. Written by Teri Sloat; illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. New York: DK, 1999. ISBN 0-7894-2512-2. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Teri Sloat has written a hilarious rhyming tale about the unforeseen consequences after a tornado sweeps through Farmer Brown's farm. For many, the “kick” in this book will lie in pure enjoyment of the playful language, or in the topsy turvey world the story characters tumble into one eventful day. Farmer Brown's comfortable, familiar surroundings of purring cats, snoring hounds, oinking pigs, mooing cows, cooing doves, clucking hens, braying donkeys, neighing mares, and a cock-a-doodle-dooing rooster are literally turned upside down when a twister roars through. After the farmer, the animals, and the clothes drying on the line swirl around in the air and crash land, everything is mixed up. Cows oink, pigs moo, sheep cluck, cats coo, mares howl, hens bray, and Farmer Brown shouts “Cock-a-doodle-doo.” Suddenly, the bossy rooster discovers that he has acquired Farmer Brown's voice -- and begins giving orders. He decides that the pigs need to be milked, cows need to be slopped, sheep need to sit on nests and lay eggs, and the cat needs to be given bird seed. It takes another visit by a twister to set things right: “Another twister roared and grew. Horns and hooves and white wool blew. All the tails, un-curly-cued, while fur and feet and feathers flew.” Everything is pleasantly back to normal, except on days when the wind blows and Farmer Brown again finds himself cock-a-doodle-dooing.
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How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods. Written by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic), 1999. ISBN: 0-439-10439-9. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 2 and up.
Simple text and vibrant photographs of fruits and vegetables combine to create a fascinating romp through feelings and facial expressions. The “kick” in this book is that the faces expressing feelings are composed of produce! The folds or simple carvings in green peppers, tomatoes, oranges, lemons, apples, coconuts, radishes, and onions create identifiable facial expressions, embellished with black-eyed peas for eyes. The stringy tops of radishes make Pinnochio-like noses for a cluster of small fry who feel timid in the presence of a much larger melon head. Scallions, all lined up and sporting neat crew-cut hair in the form of trimmed roots, express a feeling of security while one with riotously rooted hair seems to express insecurity. This book is sure to be appreciated on many levels, and topics for discussion range from the cleverness of the authors to the moods evoked by the photographs. On your next trip to the grocer store or greengrocer, you are likely to find yourself examining the stem ends of produce on your own search for “expressive” vegetables and fruits.
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If You Hopped Like a Frog. Written by David M. Schwartz; illustrated by James Warhola. New York: Scholastic, 1999. ISBN 0-590-09857-8. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 5 and up.
David Schwartz, whose other children's books include How Much Is a Million? and G Is for Googol, and James Warhola, nephew of artist Andy Warhol and a contributor to Mad magazine, must have gotten many kicks out of writing this delightful book. Adults and children are invited to contemplate math and science concepts by imagining what they could do if they had the abilities of creatures in the animal kingdom. For example, if you could hop like a frog, you could make it from home plate to first base in just one leap! An illustration of a small ant holding up a huge leaf leads to another illustration of a young girl holding up a car in the middle of an intersection. Children are sure to delight at the picture of a young girl sitting beside a shrew at a dinner table, with 700 hamburgers in front of her -- the number she could eat if she ate like a shrew. An intriguing index of explanations for the observations and abilities depicted in the book is included at the end. For example, the author explains that an ant can lift 50 times its own weight, so if a youngster had comparable strength, she or he would be able to lift a car weighing 3000 pounds. These explanations lend themselves to creation of interesting word problems for math study. Twelve scenarios -- from jumping like a flea to flicking your tongue like a chameleon -- provide opportunities for exploring the realms of math, science, and imagination!
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The Pig in a Wig. Written by Alan MacDonald; illustrated by Paul Hess. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 1999. ISBN 1-56145-197-5. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
The “kick” in this story will most likely come from the lesson that one prideful little pig learns the hard way; however, this beautifully, boldly illustrated picture book also offers occasions for enjoying the sounds of expressive language. Peggoty is a kind-hearted and polite little pig, but she proudly believes she is the “prettiest, pinkest, most perfect pig” and spends hours admiring her reflection in the duck pond on the farm where she lives with a host of other animals. Life is simple and rewarding for Peggoty until four little lambs, who also feel very proud of their new, woolly, white coats, tell her that she's not only fat and ugly, but “baaaald” as well. Peggoty tearfully sets off on a barnyard quest to find out if any of the other animals can explain why she is bald. The old horse suggests a “glossy and galloping” mane would improve Peggoty's looks. Marmalade cat reasons that a lack of “lickable, tickable fur” makes Peggoty ugly. The full moon explains that Peggoty is bald because she has no “fabulous feathers to flaunt.” Peggoty spends all night in the tumble-down barn creating a wig of golden, curly straw locks to wear on her head. But instead of praise and admiration, Peggoty hears only a chorus of “The pig in a wig! The pig in a wig!” all around the barn when the animals see her the next morning. After running away and wallowing in tearful self-pity, Peggoty peeks in the farmhouse window and observes a “pink, plump, and perfectly hairless human” baby getting a bath and being called mommy's beautiful angel. Peggoty's faith in herself and in the beauty of baldness is restored. In the final analysis, she comes to understand that all “pigs are born just perfect.” Postreading opportunities abound for discussion about vanity versus self-acceptance.
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The Rusty, Trusty Tractor. Written by Joy Cowley; illustrated by Olivier Dunrea. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, 1999. ISBN 1-56397-565-3. Unpaged. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Joy Cowley, award-winning author of more than 300 children's books including the classic Mrs. Wishy-Washy, has written a story celebrating the notion that acceptance and loyalty as key parts of love. Micha, a young boy, has many opportunities to learn life lessons as he watches the “hard sell” of a pushy tractor salesman who wagers 20 jelly doughnuts that Grandpappy's old rusty tractor won't last through haying season. The salesman argues that new tractors have air conditioning and stereos; Grandpappy comments that he has fresh air and can whistle to provide his own kind of music. When Micha notes that the old tractor is hard to start, Grandpappy says he's hard to start, too. When Micha notes that the old tractor is rusty, Grandpappy says his knees have so much rust that he could use an oil can. But the old rusty, trusty tractor continues to plow up the rich ground, “Chugga, chugga, chugga, like an old fishing boat, brown waves curing up behind the plow.” Throughout haying season and beyond, the tractor proves that being old doesn't mean that something doesn't have value. Dunrea's simple, uncluttered gouache illustrations, rendered in primary colors and earth tones, complement this well-told story. The “kick” comes from the surprise ending in which the salesman learns the value of the rusty, trusty tractor.
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Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted March 2000
© 2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232
Teri Sloat has written a hilarious rhyming tale about the unforeseen consequences after a tornado sweeps through Farmer Brown's farm. For many, the “kick” in this book will lie in pure enjoyment of the playful language, or in the topsy turvey world the story characters tumble into one eventful day. Farmer Brown's comfortable, familiar surroundings of purring cats, snoring hounds, oinking pigs, mooing cows, cooing doves, clucking hens, braying donkeys, neighing mares, and a cock-a-doodle-dooing rooster are literally turned upside down when a twister roars through. After the farmer, the animals, and the clothes drying on the line swirl around in the air and crash land, everything is mixed up. Cows oink, pigs moo, sheep cluck, cats coo, mares howl, hens bray, and Farmer Brown shouts “Cock-a-doodle-doo.” Suddenly, the bossy rooster discovers that he has acquired Farmer Brown's voice -- and begins giving orders. He decides that the pigs need to be milked, cows need to be slopped, sheep need to sit on nests and lay eggs, and the cat needs to be given bird seed. It takes another visit by a twister to set things right: “Another twister roared and grew. Horns and hooves and white wool blew. All the tails, un-curly-cued, while fur and feet and feathers flew.” Everything is pleasantly back to normal, except on days when the wind blows and Farmer Brown again finds himself cock-a-doodle-dooing.