90. Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros

90. Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros. Jane Kurtz. Illustrated by Claire Messer. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction picture book, 5 stars]

First sentence: Clara was born in India in 1738. In the beginning, her life was anything but splendid. Only a few months old and she was already an orphan. One small rhinoceros in a big, terrifying world. 

Premise/plot: Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros is a nonfiction picture book for young readers, or readers of all ages who happen to love HISTORY or animals.

My thoughts: Was I familiar with CLARA before reading this nonfiction picture book? No. Did I absolutely love learning her story? YES. I am curious. I love learning new things. I love a good story. Narrative nonfiction can be a delight! Such is the case with this book. I love this well-crafted story. It was a great read. Happy to recommend this one!

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

36. All Creatures Great and Small

     

36. All Creatures Great and Small. James Herriot. 1972. 437 pages. [Source: Library] [semi-autobiographical, adult fiction, animals; 5 stars]

First sentence: They didn't say anything about this in the books, I thought, as the snow blew in through the gaping doorway and settled on my naked back. I lay face down on the cobbled floor in a pool of nameless muck, my arm deep inside the straining cow, my feet scrabbling for a toe hold between the stones. 

Premise/plot: The first two books of a British book series were published under the name All Creatures Great and Small in 1972. They are an animal-focused 'memoir' [semi-autobiographical???] of a Yorkshire vet. James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight.

Is a love of animals required? Perhaps somewhat. Certainly if you absolutely hate animals it might not be a good match for you.

Is an interest in veterinary practices required? Not really. True if you absolutely hate animals and have zero interest in their care and wellbeing, well, it might not be the absolutely best fit. However, it isn't so much *what* as *how*. 

All Creatures Great and Small is a celebration of storytelling. It is HOW the stories are told, the narration itself, that makes this one so delightful, so charming, so worth reading. It is also a celebration of a passing-away-way-of-life. I believe, though I am not sure, they capture rural, country life in the late 1930s, early 1940s. 

The chapters are linked together loosely in that they are stories of his veterinary practice. There are some characters [loosely based on people he knew] that are present for many if not most of the stories. There is a love interest as well--though she doesn't make her appearance until later in the book. But in some ways the chapters are just episodes that could almost be read in any order. 

My thoughts: I was slightly resistant. Slightly. I knew in a fuzzy, vague way that these stories, these books, were among my grandma's favorites. I knew that the television series was based on a book series. I knew that there were two television series. (I haven't seen either yet). I knew that this might be a someday book for me. I'll get around to it...someday. I definitely enjoyed this one. I am not "big" on farm life, farm stories, farm animals. But I found the stories charming. I LOVED him as a narrator. It almost didn't matter that I didn't really *care* care about horses and cows and sheep and pigs, etc.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

112. Singing with Elephants

Singing with Elephants. Margarita Engle. 2022. [May] 224 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Musical elephants are like
mountains with windy whispers,
the sea when it roars or chants a lullaby,
tree branches that clack like maracas,
and every animal that opens its mouth
to howl, bark, or chant
about the freedom
to walk, walk, walk,
rejoicing in the sheer joy
of touching
green earth
with rhythmic feet
and dancing
minds.

Premise/plots: Singing with Elephants is set in 1947 in Santa Barbara, California. Oriol, our heroine, is in absolute love with words. Inspired by a newcomer--a poet--Gabriela Mistral, she begins writing day and night, night and day. Little knowing--at least at first--that Gabriela Mistral is world-famous. Her other love is animals. Her parents are veterinarians. Oriol especially loves the new elephant--a PREGNANT elephant who is due to give birth soon....

But life is complicated, and this elephant family is threatened...it is up to Oriol--and other like-minded folks--to save the day.

My thought: ELEPHANTS IN PERIL. I don't know why I entered this novel without a care in the world little thinking that all wouldn't be happy-comfy-cozy. So I want to warn sensitive readers especially that this one will keep you tense. That isn't a bad thing necessarily. Just a thing. 

It is a verse novel. It is a coming of age novel. It is well written. But just so very tense when it comes to the well being of these animals...

Quotes:

Poetry is like a planet, she says,
each word spins
orbits
twirls
and radiates
reflected
starlight.

---

Maybe
all I need
is a purpose
it's a word
filled with echoes
of other words
like courage
and hope

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Bark in the Park

Bark in the Park! Poems for Dog Lovers. Avery Corman. Illustrated by Hyewon Yum. 2019. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence:

Afghan Hound
Although he's noble and aloof,
He's still a dog, so he still says, "Woof!"

Basset Hound
For things she can smell,
She's a comer and goer.
She's much like a Beagle,
But longer and lower.

Beagle
The beagle is bent
On tracking a scent.
He follows his nose
wherever it goes.

 Premise/plot: A collection of poems about dogs/dog breeds. Each poem is short. Some poems are just two lines; other poems are all of four lines. All rhyme--for better or worse.

My thoughts: I like the idea of liking this one. I do. But sometimes I wish authors knew that poems don't always, always, always have to rhyme in order to be poetry. Sometimes poems come across as forced. You can always tell when a poem chooses a word just because--only because--it "rhymes."

That being said, there were definitely quite a few poems in this one that I really enjoyed.

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Just Like Us! Cats

Just Like Us! Cats. Bridget Heos. Illustrated by David Clark. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Cats have retractable claws, razor-sharp teeth, and tails for balancing. Humans don't. But in some ways, cats and people are alike.

Premise/plot: Just Like Us! Cats is a nonfiction picture book about cats. You should know, however, this isn't so much focused on house pets as it is wild cats, big cats, prehistoric cats. It is packed with information. Each two-page spread provides one to two paragraphs of insight.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it featured photographs instead of cartoon-like illustrations. The text was informative though.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Unstoppable

Unstoppable: True Stories of Amazing Bionic Animals. Nancy Furstinger. 2017. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 128 pages. [Source: Borrowed from friend]

First sentence: All the animals in this book inspire us with their gumption.

Premise/plot: This nonfiction book is dedicated to some amazing animals and the humans with big hearts and creative minds that have helped them overcome adversities. The focus is, for the most part, on the animals. But would these stories have happy endings if it wasn't for the humans involved? The humans who have opened their hearts, their homes, their minds and welcomed special-needs animals into their lives. The animals may have a resilient attitude and charisma. The animal stories may melt the heart. But I can't help thinking the stories would be tragic if it weren't for the humans. Perhaps it is easy for the animals to steal the show. Perhaps it is right that they should.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. Some of the stories are bittersweet. But the bittersweet stories start out bitter--with animals being abused, neglected, having an accident--and end sweet. That is a thousand times better than stories that start out sweet and end bitter.

I would recommend this one. 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Annie Patches: My New Forever Home

Annie Patches: My New Forever Home. Marty Koblish. Photographs by Jessica Charous. 2015. 34 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: My mommy lived on the streets.

Premise/plot: This picture book tells the story of a foster kitty who found her furr-ever home. Her mom was a pregnant stray cat taken in by a foster family. Annie Patches was adopted a few months later and placed in a new home--a forever home. The book uses photographs to tell her story. Well, to show off her cuteness mainly. 

My thoughts: I bought this one at a local charity shop because of the photographs. To say I love cats would be a bit of an understatement. I just couldn't resist this one. Sadly, I lost a few pages just with the first read. The story is heartwarming and the photographs are ADORABLE.

 Text: 3 out of 5
Photographs: 5 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Too Many Lollipops

Too Many Lollipops. Robert M. Quackenbush. 1975. 32 pages. [Source: Book from my childhood]

First sentence:  One sweltering Sunday Henry the duch had a headache. So he called his doctor. The doctor told him to wear a woolen bonnet, and rest...and EAT A LOT OF LOLLIPOPS. Out shopping on muggy Monday Henry the duck was caught in a flash storm and got a sore throat. The doctor told him to wrap a scarf around it, and rest...AND EAT A LOT OF LOLLIPOPS.

Premise/plot: Will Henry the duck need a new doctor, a better doctor by the end of the week?!?!

My thoughts: Too Many Lollipops is one of my favorite books from childhood. It is definitely one of the more memorable. It has lollipop end papers. The repetitive text which just keeps building and building and it is just DELIGHTFUL. I love the illustrations as well.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

A Perfect Day

A Perfect Day. Lane Smith. 2017. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The warmth of the sun...felt good on Cat's back. Cat liked to be in the flower bed where the daffodils grew. It was a perfect day for Cat. The cool of the water was what Dog liked best. When it was hot, Dog sat in the wading pool that his friend Bert filled for him. It was a perfect day for Dog.

Premise/plot: A Perfect Day is a near-perfect look at differing perspectives. Cat. Dog. Chickadee. Squirrel. Readers meet them one by one. Not everyone will have a perfect day....all day. Enter BEAR.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one very much. It starts off perfectly lovely. Readers meet a cat, a dog, a boy named Bert, a chickadee, and a squirrel. As much as I "hate" to say it, the Bear MAKES the book. There would be no story without the Bear. The Bear makes for some conflict. My favorite illustration of the book is the spread where Bear has the corncob--formerly Squirrel's corncob--in his mouth seemingly grinning. The text reads: It was a perfect day for Squirrel. The WAS appears in a different font and a different size from the rest of the text giving it emphasis. This "was" emphasis continues as readers see what else Bear needs for his perfect day.

The back jacket flap shows a snapshot of a bear eating birdseed out of a bird feeder. My guess is this one is based on a true story.

Text 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10
© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Mouse and Hippo

Mouse and Hippo. Mike Twohy. 2017. Simon Schuster. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Whoa! Oops, excuse me, I had an itch. Your itch was me...and HELP...I can't swim!

Premise/plot: The story opens with a mouse painting the ocean. His easel is set up on a rock...or is it?! Turns out that Mouse's "rock" is really HIPPO. After Hippo saves Mouse from drowning, Mouse volunteers to paint him. But how does a mouse get all of Hippo to fit on his small canvas?! Mouse paints what he sees, and he uses his largest brush to do so. Hippo is delighted--absolutely delighted--with his portrait. Hippo then decides to paint a portrait of Mouse. Hippo paints what he sees--as Mouse did--and Mouse is charmed with the results. (Hippo uses a tiny brush to paint Mouse.)

My thoughts: This book is ALL about perspective. Well, that's an exaggeration. It's equally about friendship, art, and perspective. How do YOU see the world around you? How do you represent what you see on the page--or the canvas--in front of you?

The text of the book is all dialogue. Hippo's words are in black. Mouse's words are in brown. It could work as a traditional read aloud--in the home, at school, at the library. Or. It could be a book a parent and child read together. One could read the part of hippo. The other could read the part of Mouse. I think either way it could work well.

Personally, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. It made me smile again and again. I thought the illustrations were absolutely perfect. I thought the text was great as well.

Gee--you don't really know how big a hippo is until you try to paint one! 

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Egg

Egg. Kevin Henkes. 2017. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: egg, egg, egg, egg. crack, crack, crack, egg. surprise! surprise! surprise! egg. goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, egg.

Premise/plot: Egg is the story of FOUR eggs. Three of the four eggs hatch together: a red bird, a yellow bird, a blue bird. The green egg, well, the green egg doesn't--for the longest time. When that egg hatches, what will emerge?! Will the birds make a new friend?!

My thoughts: I really enjoyed Egg. I was skeptical of this one at first. Before I even opened it, I thought that it would probably not work for me. The cover just didn't say "read me, read me." But when I saw the format and read the story, I was pleased. One of my favorite things about early Sesame Street was playing/singing: "One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong..." This book definitely fits in with that concept or theme. But the book does challenge the "doesn't belong" aspect of it.

The story is told very simply. I'm not sure there's a complete sentence in the whole book. The story is told a phrase at a time. There is a LOT of repetition. But the story is also told largely through the illustrations. One could definitely read this one through the pictures alone and get the basics of the story. Sure, children might not get the word "miserable" from the illustration alone...but SAD...yes.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

My Favorite Pets

My Favorite Pets: By Gus W. for Ms. Smolinski's Class. Jeanne Birdsall. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. 2016. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: My favorite pet is sheep. We have seventeen in our yard. Seventeen sheep are still sheep, not sheeps.

Premise/plot: Gus is writing a report for his teacher. It is ALL about sheep and then some. As his report progresses, it gets wackier and wackier. It goes from "A boy sheep is a ram. He has horns" to "Sheep won't ride a skateboard, no matter how long you teach them." I must say that it reveals more about Gus himself than the sheep he professes to love.

My thoughts: I like this one. I do. The narrative voice is very strong with Gus. I like the format, seeing the 'handwriting' of this report. The dialogue is also nice. But I think more than anything, I love the illustrations.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Board book: So Many Feet

So Many Feet. Nichole Mara. Illustrated by Alexander Vidal. 2017. Abrams. 34 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: High Feet/ A mountain goat's toes/ help it climb and hold on to/ the smallest bit of rock. Slow Feet/ Giant tortoises move slowly,/ carrying their very heavy bodies/ on their small feet. Fast Feet/ An ostrich has two strong/ toes on each foot that help/ it run fast.

Premise plot: In all, readers are introduced to "High Feet" (mountain goat), "Slow Feet" (Giant tortoise), "Fast Feet" (ostrich), "Snow Feet" (polar bear), "Dancing Feet" (shovel-snouted lizard), "Jumping Feet" (kangaroo), "Hanging Feet" (sloth), "Thumping Feet" (elephant), "Wet Feet" (duck), "Glue Feet" (gecko), "Soft Feet" (tiger), "Blue Feet" (blue-footed booby), "Dirty Feet" (mole), "Scratchy Feet" (chicken), "Picky Feet" (butterfly) and "Snatchy Feet" (bat). Each two-page spread has an illustration of the animal and an animal fact. All facts are feet-related, of course. The book ends with asking readers, "What can your feet do?"

My thoughts: For anyone who loves animals and animal facts, this is a cute and informational board book for families. Some children--even young children--are super-super curious about the world around them. Some days it seems like they have way more questions than you have answers. This book is fact-filled. I honestly haven't been that curious about feet. But this one kept my interest.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens. Denise Fleming. 1998. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mama Cat has three kittens, Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris. When Mama Cat washes her paws, Fluffy and Skinny wash their paws. Boris naps. When Mama Cat walks the stone wall, Fluffy and Skinny walk the stone wall. Boris naps.

Premise/plot: Mama Cat has three kittens. Fluffy and Skinny copy their mother; they excel at their kitty education--their kitten academy. Boris, well, he's BORIS. He excels in one subject: NAPPING. Perhaps with a minor in STEALING THE SHOW.

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I like all the cats, but, Boris has the last say! I would definitely recommend this one for parents to share with their little ones. I think cat lovers of all ages can appreciate it.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Stack the Cats

Stack the Cats. Susie Ghahremani. 2017. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: One cat sleeps. Two cats play. Three cats? Stack! Four cats teeter. Five cats totter. Six cats prefer two stacks of three cats.

Premise/plot: Love cats? Love math? Looking for a more unique counting concept book? Stack the Cats is certainly unique and it's just as much math-centered as cat-centered. In all there are ten cats.

My thoughts: Did I love it as much as I wanted to love it? No. I really, really love cats. (My latest addiction is watching Kitten Academy's livestream.) It's not so much that I don't love math as math doesn't love me. (But this basic kind of math is just my speed.) I really found some of the spreads to be super-adorable. For example, "Two cats play" is illustrated by two adorable cats playing with yarn. But some of the spreads just didn't thrill me as much. It's hard for me to imagine eight cats stacked on top of each other! So did I like it more than I disliked it? Yes. I think that's fair enough to say.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Dr. Kittycat #5 Nutmeg the Guinea Pig

Nutmeg the Guinea Pig (Dr. KittyCat #5) Jane Clarke. 2017. Scholastic. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Peanut stood on his hind legs with his back against the clinic wall and stretched his whiskery nose as high as it would go.

Premise/plot: Dr. KittyCat, with her assistant Peanut, is giving check-ups in the morning and attending a birthday party at the park in the afternoon. In fact they are bringing the food--a picnic. The two are just about done with the exams when they get an emergency call. Nutmeg has collapsed at her own party! The two pack the food and the medical bag/kit into the vanbulance and head on out. Will they be able to diagnose her?

My thoughts: This early chapter book is set in the summer and includes tips on staying safe. I love, love, love this series. I enjoy Dr. KittyCat and Peanut. The illustrations are adorable. This would have been a series I adored when I was a kid.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Purim Chicken

Purim Chicken. Margery Cuyler. Illustrated by Puy Pinillos. 2017. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "Purim is coming," crowed Cock-a-Doodle-Doo. "Time to rehearse our Purim songs," mooed Moo. "And make groggers," bleated Bleat. "And eat hamantaschen," baaed Baa. "And wear costumes," neighed Neigh. "For our Purim play," quacked Quack.

Premise/plot: Cluck, the hen, is an audience member (presumably again) along with Honk, Hoot, Bleat. Not every animal on the farm gets to be IN the Purim play. Quack is always Esther, the heroine. Cluck isn't bitter--far from it. She practices and practices clucking LOUDER and LOUDER so that everyone knows how wicked and evil Haman really is. But when the day comes, the star of the show is missing. Cluck knows what she has to do--be brave and determined just like Queen Esther--to save her friend.

My thoughts: I didn't think I'd like this one very much when it began. It's very "the cow goes moo, the sheep goes baa, the horse goes neigh." But this story has some heart to it that isn't completely lost by the bad puns. (I really, really could have done without the puns. Like the cow shares "bad moos" instead of "bad news.") Cluck is a GREAT heroine. And I loved how brave she became and how she faced her fears and saved the day.

Text: 3.5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3.5 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Hippopotamister

Hippopotamister. John Patrick Green. 2016. 84 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The old City Zoo was falling apart. No one was buying tickets. No one was managing the office. The habitats needed repair. The monkeys had no energy. The lion's man wasn't very regal. The walrus's smile wasn't very bright. And in the center of it all lived Red Panda and Hippopotamus.

Premise/plot: Red Panda decides to leave the City Zoo and get a job in the outside world. He comes back every few months to tell Hippo how wonderful the outside world really is. One day, Hippo tells Red Panda that he has decided to leave the zoo too. Can Red Panda help him find a job too?!

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I thought Red Panda was great fun. But I really LOVED Hippo. Seeing the two friends try dozens of jobs--with varying degrees of success--was fun. (It was a lot more fun than I expected it to be!) I really loved the ending as well. The illustrations reveal that Hippo is great at many, many things. He can wear MANY different kinds of hats well. But Red Panda has his role to play as well!

Loved the text. Loved the illustrations. I believe the target audience is the same as a more traditional early chapter book. But this one is a graphic novel or comic book.

If you love the illustrations, he shows how to DRAW both characters at the end of the book.


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Mother Bruce

Mother Bruce. Ryan T. Higgins. 2015. Disney-Hyperion. 44 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Bruce was a bear who lived all by himself. He was a grump.

Premise/plot: Bruce WAS a grump, but, by the end of the story will he still be a grump?! In Ryan T. Higgins' Mother Bruce, Bruce finds himself unexpectedly a MOTHER. It all starts when he gathers eggs from Mrs. Goose's nest. He wanted HARD-BOILED eggs, but, what he gets are hatched goslings all calling him MAMA! What is he to do?! Will the raising of these geese make him a better bear?!

My thoughts: This one was cute and clever and FUNNY. I really enjoyed it. I think what I loved most of all were the illustrations of Bruce. He's my kind of bear honestly. The illustrations really MAKE the story. They add a lot of the humor. For example, when Bruce is trying to explain migration--heading south for the winter--and the geese are just not getting it! (The geese all flying in tiny airplanes just made me grin!)

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Waiting for the Magic

Waiting for the Magic. Patricia MacLachlan. 2011. 143 pages. [Source: Library]

Can a book about a father abandoning his family actually be good and funny and heartwarming? Apparently it can if it's written by Patricia MacLachlan.

The novel opens with Will, the narrator, discovering that his Dad has left them. He finds a note from his dad for him, and one for his sister. The mom, who is struggling to hold it together, decides to do something that many might consider drastic in its suddenness. The family needs a dog; that very day they will go to a shelter and get one. Will and Elinor can come along to help pick one out. Do they come home with a dog? Yes. They come home with FOUR dogs and ONE cat. The dogs are Bryn, Grace, Neo, and Bitty. The cat is Lula.

The way it's talked about in the novel--the way its perceived--is that 4 dogs and 1 cat can successfully replace the absent Dad. And that's a little true, at least on the surface, the dogs definitely take their minds off the problem, and prove lovable and entertaining as well. They all help take care of the animals. Everyone loves to play with all the dogs. And at night, the dogs are often in their beds. Bryn, I believe, "owns" the Mom, and takes over the bed.

The dogs are very joyful and fun. The novel has some 'magic' in it. The dogs (and cat) TALK. At first, it's just the four year old, Elinor, that hears them. The animals are all, OF COURSE SHE CAN HEAR US, SHE'S FOUR. YOU ALWAYS HEAR WHEN YOU'RE FOUR. But eventually Will hears them too....and he's not the only one.

I don't want to spoil the book. I don't. But the Dad is not out of the picture for good....and the family drama isn't nearly over. But it's drama in the best way under the circumstances. I wasn't expecting the book to be so delightful and heartwarming. I really wasn't.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews