Review by New York Times Review
IT is generally agreed that humor is subjective. Looking across the recent crop of picture books that specialize in gently absurd comedy, one can imagine grown-ups wondering if kids will get the joke. But that would underestimate even very young children's ability, to appreciate the incongruous, the nonsensical, the flat-out eccentric. "A Sick Day for Amos McGee," by Philip C. Stead, is a case in point. It delightfully takes its loony scenario for granted. We meet Amos, a stooped-shouldered older gentleman dressed in a moss-green threepiece suit, getting ready for his day as a zookeeper. With a sweet smile, Amos goes about his daily chores. He plays chess with the delicately shaded pink elephant, lets a tortoise win races and sits with one of the penguins, who is very shy. One day when Amos comes down with a cold, the animals travel to his home to care for their caregiver. Observant readers will notice tiny surprises hidden in plain sight: a red balloon, a tiny mouse and a sparrow popping up here and there in the story. Erin E. Stead, the illustrator, overlays her pencil sketches with gentle tones of pink, peach, blue and green, and bright red spots that belie the deceptive ordinariness of the text. With his new book, "How Rocket Learned to Read," Tad Hills ("Duck & Goose") brings a sweet but not saccharine touch to a common struggle of childhood. Rocket is a fuzzy spotted dog who loves to chase leaves, chew sticks, sniff around the neighborhood and nap. One day a small yellow bird disturbs him. "'Aha! My first student! Wonderful!' she sang. Rocket was confused. 'Student? I'm not a -' 'But if I am your teacher,' the bird interrupted, 'then you must be my student.' Rocket found it hard to argue with this bird." She tempts him by reading aloud the story of an unlucky dog named Buster who lost his favorite bone - and thus begins Rocket's growing desire to read for himself. We know that birds aren't teachers and that dogs don't read, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying the process of Rocket's learning how to write his letters, practicing the "wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet" and sounding out the G and many Rs in Mr. Barker the dog's growl: "GRRRRRRRRR!" What child hasn't brought home a wild creature and asked - "Can I keep it?" - only to hear the parent say that this frog, spider or chipmunk would make a terrible pet. In "Children Make Terrible Pets," Peter Brown turns the classic picture book imagery of animals who act like people (or "people in animal suits," as it's said in the field) on its head with Lucy, an over-the-top feminine bear cub who finds a boy and wants to keep him as a pet. "Oh! My! Gosh! You are the cutest critter in the whole forest!" she says when she discovers him. And since his language sounds to her like "squeak," she names him Squeaker. Joyfully animated illustrations depict Lucy in a pink tutu and Squeaker as a typical boy in a striped shirt and sneakers. The way each page is framed in a faux wood finish gives the pictures the look of a vintage television console. Although Lucy finds that her human pet is a lot of fun to play and nap with, he is also a bit of a handful, ruining the furniture and refusing to potty train in a tray of kitty litter. In the end, we can all agree, children do make terrible pets. But the winner of the Most Absurd Picture Book of the Year Award, if there were one, would have to go to "A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea," written by Michael Ian Black and drawn by Kevin Hawkes. The joke is in the comically drawn-out contrast between the cute marching pigs of our imagination and the realistically sticky, glistening-nosed, frowning hogs. BLACK'S deadpan narration sets the tone. A pig parade is a terrible idea. The book states dryly that it might seem like a lot of fun - you might imagine sharp majorette uniforms, rousing marching-band music and fantastic floats. You would be wrong. The text notes that pigs don't march - they shuffle. Pigs don't enjoy military music, either; they prefer sad country ballads. And the only floats pigs like are the ones with root beer. Kids never say when telling a favorite joke, "Stop me if you've heard this one before." If they laughed at it once, it is 14 times as funny on the 14th telling. And, yes, the stories here are all ones that can be read again and again. They never get old. Lisa Von Drasek, the children's librarian at Bank Street College of Education, blogs about children's books for EarlyWord.com.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [November 14, 2010]
Review by Booklist Review
Who says you can't teach a young dog new words? Looking a bit like Gene Zion's lovable Harry, Rocket is minding his own business one fall morning when a little yellow bird gets him hooked on a story she is reading aloud. She proceeds to give him leisurely lessons in the alphabet before flying away for the winter. He practices all season long, spelling out words in the snow and in the mud. Hills, best known for his Duck and Goose series, offers up an appealing picture of the learning-to-read process: the bird is an enthusiastic instructor, teaching Rocket to love the sounds and meanings of words. Hills' oil-paint and colored-pencil illustrations nicely capture both the sweetness of pupil and tutor and the prettiness of the changing seasons. When the little yellow bird returns at last, the two of them settle down to read books together, and it's clear that a wonderful adventure has begun for Rocket.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With characters as memorable as those in Hills's Duck and Goose series, this good-natured story shows readers how Rocket, a spotted puppy, becomes a beginning reader, thanks to a little yellow bird. Hills uses expressive oil and colored pencil spot art (and a subtle sense of humor) to engage readers as Rocket becomes the bird's pupil; the enthusiastic teacher wisely hooks Rocket on stories before interesting him in "the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet.... Where it all begins." The illustrations emphasize Rocket's responsiveness and wide-eyed curiosity as he learns letters (the bird holds up a worm while pointing to W) and progresses from there. "Together they sang out the sounds that each letter makes and spelled the sounds they heard around them." If the details of Rocket's transition can be nebulous ("Soon they were spelling words") Hills still emphasizes the need for practice ("Rocket thought about the bird's sweet chirp while he sounded out words like D-I-G and W-I-N-D and C-O-L-D"). The amiable characters and gentle text-as well as an alphabet banner the bird strings up-make this a decent primer for humans, too. Ages 3-7. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-An endearing white dog with black spots loves chasing leaves and chewing sticks. He also loves napping under his favorite tree. Then his sleep is interrupted one spring day by a tiny yellow bird that designates him her first student. Rocket wants no part of her lessons, but the bird is determined to teach him to read. She returns each day, hangs an alphabet banner from the trees, and gushes, "Ah, the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet." Then she begins to read a story, stopping at an enticing part. Overcome by curiosity to hear more, Rocket eventually enters into the bird's lessons, and the two have a grand time using the "mighty, gorgeous alphabet" to spell out all the things in Rocket's world. The bird leaves as winter approaches, but Rocket continues practicing, spelling everything in sight. And when Bird returns the following spring, a tail-wagging, eager-to-read student greets her with joy. The illustrations, rendered in oil and colored pencil, offer full pages, spreads, and oval vignettes. They depict Rocket in all his various moods, from diagonal brows raised in displeasure to delight at his teacher's return. Adults will love the bird's enthusiasm, her use of stories, and her ability to associate lessons with Rocket's everyday life to win over her reluctant pupil. Youngsters will find this addition to Hills's cast of adorable animal characters simply irresistible.-Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT (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
Rocket likes to nap after playing. One day a little yellow bird disturbs the pup's slumber, insisting she's Rocket's reading teacher. He dismisses the notion at first, but eventually he begins to learn. When the weather turns cold, Rocket must continue practicing--by himself--until his teacher returns in springtime. Vibrant oil-paint and colored-pencil illustrations bring the story to life. (c) Copyright 2011. 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
Rocket is as cute as can be, and he's all dog. He plays with leaves and sticks, sniffs everything around him, listens to the birds and takes long naps. Then an enthusiastic yellow bird appoints herself his teacher, coaxing him with alphabet banners and singing him captivating stories that leave him wanting more. Through the summer and autumn, he learns his letters and some useful words. During the winter, Rocket is on his own, practicing his letters, sounding out and spelling words. When his teacher returns in the spring, they read happily ever after. Hills's gentle, sweet tale is a paean to the joy of reading and the teachers that inspire it. He emphasizes Rocket's steady progress and patience with admiration and gentle humor. His soft oil-andcolored-pencil illustrations create a sweetly warm and fuzzy atmosphere. Teachers and librarians will read this book to youngsters just beginning their first encounters with "the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet," and those new readers will identify with Rocket's accomplishment. Lovely. (Picture book. 3-7) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
