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BOING
is a pre-school book telling the story of the day Mother Kangaroo
taught her baby how to go "BOING!" Baby's having a little trouble
despite the assistance of other "BOINGing" animals like the
Grasshopper, the Frog and the Rabbit until a word of advice from an
astute old Koala shows her the way.
The book features a huge two page pop-up near the end.
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A Review from the August 30th Publisher's WeeklyA
mother kangaroo tries to teach her joey how to hop by example in
Bruel's debut children's book. Mama demonstrates her kinetic prowess,
leaping in giant arcs (a dotted line traces her path) to the delight of
her child as well as other onlookers: a frog, rabbit and grasshopper.
The joey determinedly tries to jump - only to flop to the ground with a
resounding "blomp." Each animal demonstrates its own jumping ability,
bouncing across the spread from left to right, interjecting encouraging
words - "Like this!" and "Don't give up!" - that comprises the book's
sparse narrative. But when the kangaroo tries to do the same, it is
unable to get off the ground.
Finally, a wise-looking koala bear pipes up, "What do you have in your
pocket?" The joey excitedly reveals his treasure trove, emptying out
toys, a book, "a cool rock I found" and much more. With its load
significantly lightened, the tyke leaps into the air in an enormous
boing that literally pops up to greet readers. Bruel's cartoons brim
with energy and emotion - the joey's expression of concentration as it
attempts to leap is priceless, as are the flabbergasted reactions of
the animals when they discover the problem. Not a book for bedtime,
this tale will likely inspire young readers to hop excitedly along,
particularly given the animals' parting words: "Your turn!" "You can do
it!" and "It's easy!" Ages 3-7 (Sept.)
Here's what the good people from Kirkus Review had to say about "BOING" on October 15thCommon
sense works when encouragement doesn't in this bouncy solo debut.
Though Grasshopper, Frog, Rabbit, and Mama Kangaroo cheer him on, a
young kangaroo just keeps falling over whenever she tries to jump.
What's the problem? At last, Koala's savvy question–"What do you have
in your pocket? – provides the answer: "I have 1 sock, a candy bar, 2
jacks, a toy dinosaur, 3 marbles," and a few dozen other items besides.
Bruel keeps the art simple, setting the episode in a glade nearly free
of extraneous detail or–until the denouement–text, then putting
Kangaroo's climactic bound onto a spread that unfolds up and out as
it's opened. A substantial leap over David McKee's similarly themed but
pedestrian Elmer And The Kandaroo (2000) and a jumpstart on counting.
(Picture book. 4-6)
Another positive review - this time from the December 2004 School Library JournalPreS-Gr
1–Told mainly through bright, cheerful pictures that are enhanced by
bits of dialogue and pertinent sound effects, this simple story will
make children smile. A young kangaroo is learning to hop with the help
of its mother and their friends, a grasshopper, a rabbit, and a frog.
Despite the repeated demonstrations and many words of encouragement,
the joey tries but is unable to duplicate the resounding “boing”
produced by its mother and the others, only managing a feeble “bloomp”
or “blop.” Finally, a koala that has been looking on from a perch in a
tree suggests that the youngster empty its pocket. After pulling out a
carefully itemized collection of amusing belongings including, among
other things, “1 sock,” “2 jacks,” “a red ribbon,” “a green ribbon,”
and “a banana,” the little kangaroo joyously leaps into the air and off
the page in an unexpected pop-up illustration. Pair this charming title
with Emily Arnold McCully’s First Snow (HarperCollins, 1985), another
tale told in pictures of a young animal’s triumph over a seemingly
insurmountable challenge.–Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy,
Brighton, MAAnd now a word from the January/February Issue of The Horn BookNick Bruel: Boing 32pp. Porter/ Roaring Brook 9/04 (preschool)A
rabbit, frog, grasshopper, and koala provide an encouraging audience
for a baby kangaroo fresh out of the pouch and ready to learn to jump.
Illustrated with sunny watercolor and ink cartoons, the text consists
of the animals' dialogue and the sounds they make as they model leaping
for the joey (boing), who consistently falls over when she tries to jump (blomp).
Why is this determined marsupial having so much trouble mimicking her
mam and her peers? Koala finally figures it out by asking what's in the
joey's pocket. She replies: "I have 1 sock, a candybar, 2 jacks, a toy
dinosaur, 3 marbles, a cool rock I found, 4 buttons..." and a horde of
other stuff. With a lightened load, the joey is able to jump off the
page, literally, in an exuberant pop-up spread. It's an accomplishment
designed to have preschoolers springing from their seats, as, on the
last page, the rabbit, looking outward along with his buddies,
cheerfully announces, "Your turn!" C.M.H.
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