Day: September 19, 2019

Review: Fly! by Mark Teague

| Tasha

Fly! by Mark Teague

Fly! by Mark Teague (9781534451285)

Baby Bird has spent his time having worms delivered right to him in the nest by Mama Bird. So when Mama Bird coaxes him out onto the branch, he throws a bit of a fit. It’s a tantrum big enough to get him out of the nest finally, but it also makes him fall down down down to the ground. Mama Bird encourages him to try to fly back up, but Baby Bird has other ideas. Maybe Mama could carry him or perhaps a hot air balloon? Mama bird warns him that he won’t be able to come along when they migrate to Florida if he can’t fly. Baby Bird thinks that maybe a bike, skateboard, car or train might work even better than flying. Mama Bird next tried to scare baby into flying by talking about dogs, cats, and owls. Owls! Mama Bird may just have convinced her silly Baby Bird to take flight.

Teague’s wordless book is a joy. He cleverly uses speech balloons on the page but fills them with images so that children can “read” this themselves very easily. The conversations between mother and baby are clear and very funny. In particular, Baby Bird’s ideas and jokes will have little ones giggling along. The frustration of Mama Bird is also very clear on the page, her motherly glare is one that most children will recognize from personal experience. Full of great illustrations that tell a complete and compelling story.

A great wordless book that really takes flight. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Beach Lane Books.

Review: Spencer’s New Pet by Jessie Sima

| Tasha

Spencer's New Pet by Jessie Sima

Spencer’s New Pet by Jessie Sima (9781534418776

A boy leaves a circus tent with a pet dog made from a red balloon. The dog walks on a leash, does tricks, and begs for treats. The two read books and sleep together, the dog snuggled under the covers. When they head to the vet, the boy notices a sharp quill on a hedgehog in the waiting room and quickly moves away. The boy and dog head to the park where the dog plays with the other dogs, chasing a Frisbee, but they leave when the boy notices the sharp teeth of a large dog. The wind catches the dog, carrying him through the park and into a birthday party. The party is full of potential threats to a balloon, like burning candles and the pinata. When the dog gets lost in with other balloon animals though, the boy stops paying attention to sharp things. And that’s when the book gets all the more interesting!

Sima has created a book where one thinks they know what the story is, but it is something else entirely. The joy of discovering the real story will make readers demand to hear the book again and explore that new story fully. Sima’s book is wordless, the images done in grays and blacks with the red balloon dog serving as the only color on the page. There is a grand sense of drama throughout, as readers see the dangers alongside the boy.

Clever and with an ending that reinvents the entire book, this one is amazing. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster.