February 1, 2012
Another Piggy Bunny Review
Another Piggy Bunny review, this time from Daily Kos. And it’s a good one too.
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reviewsJanuary 18, 2012 Starred Review for PIGGY BUNNYPiggy Bunny, my book with Rachel Vail, just got its first review. It will appear in the Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books in their February issue. What a great start for this book! Vail, Rachel Piggy Bunny; illus. by Jeremy Tankard. Feiwel, 2012 [32p] ISBN 978-0-312-64988-3 $14.99 Reviewed from galleys R* 5-7 yrs “All the other piglets wanted to be pigs when they grew up. Liam wanted to be the Easter Bunny.” That’s a peculiar and lofty ambition for anybody, let alone a young pig, and Liam’s perplexed immediate family tries to point him toward pragmatism (“‘You are a piglet,’ said Liam’s big sister. ‘Deal with it’”). It’s Liam’s grandparents who heroically defend his dream (“They just have the imagination of a kumquat, the lot of them,” sniffs his grandmother), rustle him up a bunny suit (“We will order one on the Internet”), and see him through to the fulfillment of his fantasy. Vail’s high-spirited and highly comedic text just begs for a whole-souled readaloud with rich vocal characterization that’ll make the most of both the humor and the touches of poignancy (“This is the kind of problem,” sighs Liam, “that is called heartbreaking”). It’s a hilariously absurd story about a pig, but it’s also a cheerful championing of the kind of role play for which “pretend” seems a dismissive term and which sees little kids wearing their superhero capes to the supermarket; even beyond that, it’s a subtle reassurance about finding workable ways to explore a dream or an identity that may seem initially impossible. Tankard, author-illustrator of Grumpy Bird (BCCB 3/07), employs thickly solid yet fluid brushstrokes in figures that have a touch of Japanese graphic flavor in their streamlined cuteness; digital color makes the piglets a luscious pink that stands out against gently patterned tone-on-tone backgrounds in stripes and spots. This will be an enjoyably loopy and stealthily reassuring readaloud any time of the year, and it would make a terrifically offbeat Easter entry. Oink. DS August 26, 2011 nice blog post about meI recently spent some time in Jacksonville, FL where I spoke at a conference for early childhood workers and librarians. I met a LOT of wonderful people, signed a LOT of books and talked until I hardly had any voice left. I love travelling and sharing my experience with books. It can be inspiring for me as well as them (hopefully). One of the librarians I met did a nice little write-up about my visit. Thanks Jaime! November 26, 2010 Grumpy Bird reviewI think it’s awesome that Grumpy Bird is still being reviewed! A nice one on epinions.com. Check it out. November 26, 2010 Boo Hoo Bird reviewAn excellent review for Boo Hoo Bird from Explore 0-4. Thank you Anna for the kind words. November 22, 2010 Picture Book Depot reviewPicture Book Depot, a new book review blog, has given Boo Hoo Bird a glowing endorsement. Thanks, Rita! July 31, 2010 Me Hungry reviewI thought I’d share this lovely review of ME HUNGRY! courtesy of B is for Books. She makes mention of the book being vegetarian friendly. It’s funny, I’d never really thought of that before. But I suppose it is. Thanks for liking my book so much Thao! July 7, 2010 Me Hungry! write-upME HUNGRY! was the featured review on Word of Mouse the other day. Thanks Word of Mouse! May 20, 2010 Two more reviewsTwo recent reviews of the Bird books from the Warren County Public Library. First up is their review of Grumpy Bird. And here is their review of Boo Hoo Bird. April 13, 2010 SquidooI received a nice little mention on the Squidoo website today. They posted a list of Darn Good Kid’s Books. I’m in excellent company with Mo Willems |
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