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Antony, Steve
8 Reviews
(3)
K-3
Robot Blip "liked being plugged into her computer." One day there's a blackout, and Blip finds herself outside, where the book's industrial palette yields to a pastel-colored world of greenery and animals. This is a "lesson" story that doesn't feel like one thanks to Antony's canny art, which shows Blip and friends happily doing what she'd only been watching on-screen characters do.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
K-3
In this British import, follow-up to The Queen's Hat, a swan snatches the queen's handbag, setting off a wild chase past various UK landmarks. The queen, her dog, a horde of police officers, and a butler carrying her hatbox use multiple modes of transportation in pursuit. Their zany antics, illustrated in small-scale detail, will keep readers poring over each spread. Brief endnotes describe the sites.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(4)
PS
Mr. Panda (Please, Mr. Panda) distributes less-than-perfect gifts to his friends. Lemur advises "it's the thought that counts." Mr. Panda repeats that advice when giving Lemur too-big underpants. This gratitude lesson is muddled: everyone looks disappointed; and it's a mystery why Elephant, who "opens it later," gets doughnuts (seen on the back endpapers). Fans of Mr. Panda's deadpan delivery will appreciate the thought.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(4)
PS
As Mr. Panda (Please, Mr. Panda) whips up something special to eat, a parade of other black-and-white animals marches through the plain light-blue background asking him what he's making. Only Penguin is willing to wait for the (surprise) answer. Mr. Panda's repeated obliviousness to Penguin's presence is frustrating, but in the end, Penguin's patience is rewarded with a giant, tasty doughnut.
Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear
(3)
K-3
In this entertaining British import, the queen chases madly after her windblown hat, followed by her dog, scores of guards, and a server with a tea tray. While the text is understated, readers can spot amusing details in the spacious illustrations, which show tiny images of the queen and her retinue scaling meticulously drawn London landmarks. Brief descriptions of the sites are appended.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(4)
PS
Mr. Panda offers doughnuts to a series of ill-mannered black-and-white animals, finally granting the whole box to the lemur who says "please." Gray backgrounds and Mr. Panda's beleaguered expression contrast nicely with the lemur's perky energy and the technicolor doughnuts he consumes, but Mr. Panda's ultimate admitted dislike of the treats lessens the impact of the joke.
Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby
(3)
PS
There's a war on between the green lizards and the red rectangles (flat, faceless geometric shapes of varying dimensions). Each two-page spread has the sides vying for domination, creating color/power dynamics that, despite the restricted palette, always engage the eye. Finally, the enemies find their peace: the rectangles become an apartment building in which the lizards dwell. It's utterly simple--and ingenious.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
Betty, a hungry baby gorilla, wants to eat a banana, but it won't open; a tantrum ensues. A friendly toucan assures her that such strong emotions are not necessary and offers his assistance. Then another banana-centric problem arises... Bright spreads full of action and humor feature bulky Betty and banana-shaped Mr. Toucan, a pair whose dynamic will be familiar to preschoolers and their parents.
Reviewer: Pam Yosca
8 reviews
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