Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-6. From the creator of Animalia (1986) and The Sign of the Seahorse (1992) comes another beautifully illustrated animal fantasy, this time doubling as counting exercises. "Down at the secret water hole the animals all come," the text begins, and on each spread, animals from an international roundup gather to take a drink: one rhino, two tigers, and so on, until, by "ten kangaroos," the water has run dry. Luckily, the rains come, bringing everyone together. There's so much to look at here: lush vegetation; lively, detailed animal characters; cutouts that represent the shrinking water supply. Sly humor, sometimes geared towards adults, comes in quotes from the animals--first, as they sound to humans ("ark, ark! Arrrk!"); then revealing what's actually being said ("It's party time, fellas! Drink up!" ). The story is slim, but the ideas are powerful--life's dependence on water; the concept of limited resources--and children will savor the gorgeous, animal-packed spreads. --Gillian Engberg
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Successive spreads introduce a growing number of animals at a water hole that, as viewed through die-cut ovals, becomes smaller with each turn of the page. "Readers will find more to see the longer they linger over these enticing pages," wrote PW. Ages 4-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-Come to the water hole and immerse yourself in an extravagant experience. The offering from a master of visual delight is at once a counting book, a zoological tour, and a fascinating hidden-picture challenge. As 10 different animals from 10 different countries come to quench their thirst, a metaphorical water hole diminishes until it dries up completely and the visitors leave. Then the cycle begins again with a single drop of water, a torrent of rain, and a luxuriant new watering hole that draws all of the creatures back again. With a quarter page of simple counting text and three-quarters page of sumptuous watercolor and gouache, the story unfolds on many levels. The water hole itself is a concentric cutout oval that shrinks from page to page. There are silhouettes in the borders of the creatures indigenous to each country and those same animals are hidden in the dense background. A comic note is added with 10 frogs, some wearing clothes, whose numbers also decrease as the water dries up. While some children may miss the illustrative subtleties indicating that each water hole is actually in a different part of the world, this numerical and ecological companion to Animalia (Abrams, 1987) is a visual treat.-Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
One rhino, two tigers, and other animals up to ten kangaroos come to drink from a water hole, a die-cut hole that shrinks through successive pages. Why are animals on different continents shown drinking from the same water hole? Why is the water hole shrinking? DonÆt ask--just enjoy searching the detailed paintings for hidden animal images and a family of sartorially savvy frogs. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
After the comic futuristic chronicle The Worst Band in the Universe (1999), Base returns to his Animalia (1987) roots. In big, natural scenes teeming with realistic detail, animals gather in increasing numbers around a waterhole that not only shifts from continent to continent with each turn of the page, but shrinks too, until "Ten Kangaroos" find only a dusty pit. Along with a superfluous die-cut hole, the artist adds a similarly shrinking crew of increasingly concerned-looking tropical frogs-some clad in bathing suits or pearls-to each spread, plus animal forms concealed within patterns of bark, rock, and foliage for the sharp of eye to pick out. It all makes an absorbing visual feast, and the ominous ecological theme is optimistically capped by a rainfall that restores the waterhole, bringing back many of the animals for a grand finale. This eye-filling, not altogether earnest counting book/consciousness-raiser will draw an unusually wide, and wide-eyed, audience. (Picture book. 4-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
