Review by Booklist Review
When the avian prima donna introduced in Grumpy Bird (2007) gets bonked on the head by a ball and starts to cry, not Raccoon's kiss, Rabbit's hug, a cookie from Beaver, or a Band-Aid from Fox can stop the flow of tears. Though Tankard offers no definite clues in either the short text or his brightly colored woodland scenes, readers are likely to suspect after a while that Bird is milking the injury especially when, seeing all his friends likewise bursting into tears, he loudly announces that he's ALL BETTER NOW! Not only will Bird's histrionics strike chords of recognition in parents, but the wide-eyed, very simply drawn animals suspended against collages of reworked photos and sketched-in shrubbery will also catch and hold the attention even of very young audiences. Bet high on this becoming another storytime winner, just like its predecessor.--Peters, John Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-While playing catch with Raccoon, Bird gets bonked on the head and starts to cry. Neither Raccoon's kiss, nor Rabbit's hug, nor any of the other animals' attempts to soothe him works. Not even Fox's proffered Band-Aid helps. Then, in a surprising turn of events, all of Bird's friends become so upset that they begin to cry, and Bird must console them. How he helps his friends snap out of their gloom will tickle youngsters, and they will be in for yet another surprise when they turn the last page. Brightly painted cartoon animals heavily outlined in black appear against different colored grounds and are enlivened by photos and sketches of farm scenes and trees. As Tankard's Grumpy Bird (Scholastic, 2007) addressed young children's mood swings, this humorous story will help them over the bumps and bruises accrued as they go about their active lives.-Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool) While playing catch with Raccoon, Bird (Grumpy Bird, rev. 5/07) is inadvertently beaned on the head. "'Ouch,' moaned Bird. 'That hurt. A lot.'" Nothing his friends do-from kissing his boo-boo to plying him with cookies to copious Band-Aid application-distracts Bird from his injury, and the melodrama increases with each page turn: "Bird cried louder. 'I think I'm getting dizzy...I CAN HARDLY WALK!!!'" So, too, increases the friends' anxiety, until they all erupt in sympathetic sobs: "Boo hoo hoo!...Nothing is making Bird feel better." As the pals turn to comfort one another, leaving Bird outside the spotlight of their attention, he realizes that his injury is greatly improved-and that he's well-equipped to cheer them up. A quick game of follow-the-leader seems to do the trick, but when the play turns again to catch...watch out. As in Grumpy Bird and Me Hungry (rev. 5/08), Tankard tells a simple, linear story in the most kid-friendly of terms. His distinctive illustrative style features uncluttered bold-hued backgrounds that incorporate screened photographs and basic shapes as design elements. Tankard employs subtle changes in line to convey the dramatic-sometimes humorously so-swings of emotion experienced by preschoolers, bringing his round-edged, thick-outlined characters to expressive life. From HORN BOOK, (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
Tankard's latest will tickle the funny bonesand tug at the heartstringsof its young audience. In this sequel to Grumpy Bird (2007), Bird receives a "bonk" on his head during a game of catch. At Raccoon's urging, the injured fowl visits each of his friends for a little TLC, but nothing, not even kisses or cookies, soothes his dampened spirits. Bird does have a flair for the dramatic; he's outraged when Sheep suggests a game of hide-and-seek: "You want me to hide?" he wails. "I CAN HARDLY WALK!!!" Depressed by Bird's misery, the animals cry, resulting in Bird's miraculous, and hilarious, full recovery. As in its predecessor, ink and digitally rendered double-page spreads against photographed images feature thick black lines, blocky shapes and bright, bold colors. Playful pacing and taut expressions capture the humor and vulnerability of Bird and his gang. This selection will resonate with listeners, who will likely cringe as Bird mistakenly offers, yet again, to be on the receiving end of another game of catch. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
