Review by Booklist Review
Illustrated with appealing drawings, the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet books are unusual among early chapter-book series in that their main character is 13 years old and she originally appeared in the two Calpurnia Tate books for middle-graders. Returning for another tale set in Texas in 1901, Calpurnia earns the title Girl Vet twice over. First, guided by her grandfather, she glues a tiny, delicate splint onto a butterfly's torn wing, enabling it to fly. Next, she acts as midwife for a sheep whose unborn lamb presents as a breech birth until Calpurnia takes charge and turns him around, saving both ewe and lamb. While her brother Travis acts as a stand-in for younger readers, Calpurnia narrates the story, and events unfold from her point of view. Kelly provides bits of backstory for readers new to the series, but most of the story reads as pure Calpurnia. Her free-spirited personality, her rule-bending ways, and her determination to follow her passion for science, regardless of her mother's misgivings, make her a lively, endearing character.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Life is never dull on Callie's family farm. With six brothers and a host of animal companions, excitement is always brewing. While Dr. Pritzker, the local veterinarian, is away, it falls to Callie, Travis, and Granddaddy to help insects and animals in the newest installment of this series based upon the well-loved middle grade titles. This selection will be of interest to those fascinated by nature. Readers will learn about the evolution and life cycle of a butterfly and the lambing process. Some of the more challenging vocabulary is defined ("veterinarian"), while readers can use context clues to understand others ("embed," "nocturnal," "disastrous"). Newer readers may need some assistance, making this title best suited for guided reading. VERDICT A strong introductory chapter book for young readers interested in science and nature.-Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY © Copyright 2016. 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
In this second book (Skunked!), aspiring naturalist/veterinarian Callie is more immersed in her science, and beginning to put her newfound skills into practice as she helps town veterinarian Dr. Pritzker with a lamb's difficult breech birth. Detailed black-and-white illustrations reinforce the historical setting and highlight action. Delicate leafy branches decorate the top of each page, subtly underscoring Callie's scientific interests. (c) Copyright 2017. 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
It's not every chapter book that features a girl elbow-deep in a sheep's birthing canal, but Callie Vee's no ordinary gal. Although she's continuing her award-winning middle-grade series (The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, 2009, etc.) with an early chapter-book one, Kelly presents Calpurnia Tate as the same girl with the same problems. Her mother wants her to be a lady when all she wants is to become a naturalist. The year is 1901 (the year after the action of The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, 2015), and there are other problems besides gender expectations. While studying a Vanessa cardui, or painted lady, Callie discovers a torn wing and must determine if she's the kind of girl who tries to fix broken butterflies. (Bafflingly, despite the prominence of painted ladies in the story, the butterflies depicted on the cover are monarchs.) Later Callie's mother's prized sheep is due to give birth. When complications arise, it's up to our heroine to save the day using ingenuity and know-how. Callie's adventures in animal care adapt easily to this format, losing none of the protagonist's wit and 13-year-old wisdom, though whether older readers will follow her adventures in a younger reading format is open to question. Certainly children without prior knowledge of the older novels will find much to love in Callie's fight against early-20th-century mores and attitudes, but 13 is an odd age for a chapter-book protagonist. Animal husbandry done right for the young reader set. (Historical fiction. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
