Just Like My Papa

Author: Buzzeo, Toni

Number Of Pages: 32

Details:

A sumptuously illustrated, rhythmically told tale set on the African savanna features young cub Kito, who in an effort to emulate his lion father practices roaring, pouncing and hunting while anticipating the day when he will become a king. By the best-selling author of Stay Close to Mama. From School Library Journal PreS-K-This companion to Stay Close to Mama (Hyperion, 2012) chronicles a day in the life of an adult male lion and his son. Though anthropomorphized, many details of life on the savannah shine forth in the simple, lyrical prose. Kito, the young cub of the king of the pride, narrates with the refrain, "Just like my papa, the King." After a playful, restful afternoon under an acacia tree, the action and atmosphere climax in a twilight hunt of wildebeest. Before a vast sun-swept landscape, "Papa stands and gives his dark brown mane a fearsome shake. He follows the lionesses to the hunt. Kito shakes his little head. He sneaks off after Papa. I will hunt, too. Just like my papa, the King." What makes this title work is the blend of factual information about a pride's habitat and behavior with the compelling, personal narrative of a son following his father's footsteps and winning his respect. The acrylic illustrations are larger than life and show the expanses of the savannah but remain warm and kid-friendly, especially in the lions' depth of expression, ranging from curiosity to impatience, from concern to pride. The pacing is superb, with the right amount of drama for the youngest readers yet awash with reassuring paternal love and care for young Kito. An author's note briefly describes the social interactions of a pride.-Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York Cityα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From Booklist As with Buzzeo’s Stay Close to Mama (2012), the African savanna is the setting here, but this time we meet Kito, a young male lion cub who imitates his father and wants to grow up to be a lion king just like him. Kito is quite content to stay near his papa. When Papa roars, Kito growls; when Papa sleeps, Kito sleeps; when Papa swats flies with his tail, Kito tries (and fails); and when Papa has had enough, Kito lies in the tall grass. Just as with human parents and their children, Papa teaches and guides Kito even during their play times. The personification of the lions allows the love between father and son to radiate throughout both the text and the luscious full-page colored illustrations. Buzzeo concludes with a brief note about lions. The book’s large format and rich, rhythmic language make it a good candidate for reading aloud to a group. At the same time, its quiet nature makes for a good one-on-one sharing, too. Preschool-Kindergarten. --J. B. Petty

About the Author:

Toni Buzzeo (www.tonibuzzeo.com) is a children's book author and reviewer and retired school library media specialist. She speaks at national, state, and regional library and reading conferences and does author visits at schools across the country. Her most recent books are Stay Close to Mama, a companion to this book, and the New York Times best-selling One Cool Friend, ilustrated by David Small. Her book Dawdle Duckling, illustrated by Margaret Spengler, was a Children's Book of the Month Club selection and a Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection. No T. Rex in the Library was one of five books featured in Cheerios boxes in Fall 2010. She divides her time between a colonial farmhouse in Buxton, Maine, and a home near the ocean in Sarasota, Florida. Mike Wohnoutka (www.mikewohnoutka.com) grew up in Spicer, Minnesota. His dad, an engineer, would bring home reams of paper with highway plans on one side. Mike filled the blank side of the sheets with drawings of race cars, snowmobiles, baseball players, super heroes-everything he was interested in. ...

EAN: 9781423142638

Release Date: 02-04-2013

Languages: English

Item Note: Great shape- pages are unmarked and sharp. Hardcover Used - Very Good Ships fast! 2013

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood

Binding: Hardcover