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Yoon, Salina
19 Reviews
(3)
K-3
In three short vignettes, Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine free a stuck kite, make a new friend, and sell lemonade. Speechless Little Duck's facial expressions in fourth-wall-breaking glances will match exactly what readers are thinking about Big Duck and Porcupine's harebrained antics. With Yoon's bright, clean graphic illustrations, this funny series is destined to become a favorite in the early-reader genre.
Reviewer: Kari Allen
(3)
K-3
The comedic trio is back in their third collection of easy-reader vignettes. As usual, Big Duck and Porcupine get a little confused about things, while Little Duck knows what's really going on. When Little Duck breaks the fourth wall, emergent readers will gleefully nod in agreement. The bright digital illustrations lend Yoon's characters additional personality and spunk.
Reviewer: Kari Allen
(3)
PS
Dennis is "an ordinary boy" who happens to be a mime. Misunderstood, "Dennis felt INVISIBLE" until "one day Dennis kicked an IMAGINARY ball..." and a new friend catches it. This tale of individuality, acceptance, and true friendship expresses loads of emotion quietly, the way a skilled mime should. In pencil with digital coloring, Yoon's striking compositions on tawny pages recall Golden Age cinema.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
(3)
PS
In Bear and Floppy's latest (Found; Stormy Night), Bear tells his stuffed bunny, "You need to stay home...Big bears go to school." But when Bear gets to school, he misses Floppy. This sweetly instructive story, featuring right-for-the-job clean Photoshop illustrations, has Bear modeling problem-solving (he devises a solution) and asking for help (he and his teacher craft a Floppy-size pocket for Bear's backpack).
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(2)
K-3
Big Duck has lots of ideas but not much sense; Porcupine follows her lead; Little Duck is always one step ahead of them both. Little Duck never speaks, but glances to the audience humorously invite readers' commiseration. Bright colors, heavy outlines, and minimal backgrounds keep attention on the simple action and characters' interactions through three chapters. A fresh and funny addition to easy-reader shelves.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2016
(3)
PS
In this delightful sixth story, Penguin's family visits Pinecone on Christmas Eve. After they all decorate the tree (still wearing the hand-knit scarf from Penguin and Pinecone), a blizzard hides everything overnight. Penguin improvises perfect presents for everyone and gets his wish when the forest animals share a magical Christmas with them. Yoon's sweet, thick-lined Photoshop illustrations will melt any snow-covered heart (or tree).
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
(3)
PS
Penguin is on the move again in his fifth outing. Here, he makes a solo trek to the North Pole. He meets Polar Bear, and after clearing up some minor cultural misunderstandings, the two become good friends. And speaking of, Penguin's Antarctic friends miss him and arrive via hot-air balloon to bring him home. Yoon's friendly illustrations invite arm-chair explorers to join the adventure.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
PS
Bear can't sleep during a terrible thunderstorm, but singing to his stuffed bunny, Floppy, and "comforting" his mom and dad soothes the little guy, too. This simple, understated story about fears and bravery and the comfort of good company is done a great service by Yoon's signature digital art with thick black outlines, cleanly saturated colors, and endearing characters.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
(3)
PS
Wishing he could keep the found bunny for himself, Bear searches high and low for the stuffed animal's original owner. When grown-up Moose recognizes his old toy, he also recognizes the opportunity to pass it on to someone younger who will love it like he did. Simple, colorful, bold-lined digital illustrations evoke the complex and conflicting feelings about letting something go.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(4)
PS
Blip, a red ball with legs, asks: "I need to reach that bar to win the game. Can you help me?" Readers are instructed to shake, turn, stand upright, tilt, tap, and tickle the book; each action leads to humorous consequences for hardy Blip. The digital illustrations are clean with lots of white space. Though the concept is nothing new, it's mildly diverting here.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
PS
In his fourth book, Penguin and the gang--sans little brother Pumpkin--travel by ice floe to experience autumn on a farm. As expected, it's glorious--brimming with pumpkins and falling leaves, some of which they bring home to share with Pumpkin. The appeal here, as usual, is Yoon's thick-lined digital illustrations with clean, saturated colors and adorable characters.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2014
(4)
PS
"One day, Penguin was looking for love." Penguin's third outing features Yoon's enchanting illustrations along with a story that doesn't hold much child appeal. Penguin and his friend Bootsie are both on knitting kicks. When their yarn goes missing, they set out to look for it and find...each other. The missing yarn mystery might hook some, but it unravels at too leisurely a pace.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(2)
PS
Tired of the cold, Penguin heads to a tropical island, but skiing and skating don't work there. Before he throws in the (beach) towel, Penguin meets an island native who shows him how to enjoy everything the beach has to offer. As in Penguin and Pinecone, Yoon's story of an interspecies friendship is both funny and sweet, especially as portrayed in her welcoming illustrations.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2013
(4)
PS
"Do sheep tango? / Do sheep cha-cha? / All I know is / sheep go..." With these starter flap books (Cows features farm animals, Crocs the jungle sort), preschoolers can complete simple rhymes with the relevant animal sound; lifting a flap representing the animal's mouth reveals the answer. The illustrations of the smiling animals are overly slick--visually and tactilely. Review covers these titles: Do Crocs Kiss? and Do Cows Meow?.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
PS
"Do sheep tango? / Do sheep cha-cha? / All I know is / sheep go..." With these starter flap books (Cows features farm animals, Crocs the jungle sort), preschoolers can complete simple rhymes with the relevant animal sound; lifting a flap representing the animal's mouth reveals the answer. The illustrations of the smiling animals are overly slick--visually and tactilely. Review covers these titles: Do Crocs Kiss? and Do Cows Meow?.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
Penguin misses his beloved pinecone after he reluctantly brings it to the forest (as Penguin's grandfather explains, "He can't grow big and strong on the ice"). Years later Penguin finally visits Pinecone, and their reunion is quietly touching thanks to a brilliant visual detail involving a hand-knit scarf. The thick-lined, digital illustrations in roomy layouts augment the simple tenderness.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
PS
In Mia's Nap Time, a baby ditches her crib and explores her neighborhood, then returns without incident. Flip the book over for Max's Bath Time, where a tot sneaks out and explores the world on his own. Both adventures are fairly bland. The art will satisfy fans of clean, hard-edged computer-generated cartoons.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
PS
"Straight snake / Tangled snake." "Dirty snake / Clean snake." Five more pairs round out this primer featuring near-fluorescent snakes demonstrating the concept of opposites. In each pairing, the first snake conceals the second, which can only be seen when two page-size flaps are opened like French doors. These kooky snakes are mildly amusing.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
PS
A brief text asks questions about the resting places of various creatures. Readers lift flaps to find the rhyming answers and view the sleeping animal families. "Where do monkeys sleep? Up in the trees, with the birds. Where do zebras sleep? In tall grass, nuzzled with the herd." Despite the clunky verse, the book--with its intriguingly shaped flaps and sweet baby animals--has preschool appeal.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
19 reviews
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