As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
56 pp.
| Chronicle |
May, 2020 |
TradeISBN 978-1-4521-6504-2$16.99
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Laura Park.
After several near-wordless spreads showcasing the advantages and disadvantages of their lots in life, a crab and bird join forces: with the former's claws and the latter's ability to fly, the "Crabbird! Birdrab!" is "UNSTOPPABLE!" against predators. They become even more so with the addition of a turtle and then (after they ask very nicely) a bear. They add the president of the United States (depicted as a woman of color) to their group in hopes of outlawing the impending destruction of the animals' lakefront home, but as she explains, to change the law they'll really need to add Congress. Throughout this absurd lesson in animal traits and human civics, longer and longer versions of the new creature's name appear ("Birdraburtlebear! Craburbearbird! Turbearbircrab!"), usually with letters of the word color-coded to match their relevant animals. Between this device and Rex's (School's First Day of School, rev. 3/16) spare, mostly dialogue text (situated within Park's spacious, boldly colored illustrations), this unabashedly silly picture book is a good choice for emerging readers as well as for storytime audiences. It should appeal as much to those who find the word crabturd funny as to those who prefer Congress jokes.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2020