Hank's Big Day: The Story of a Bug

by Evan Kuhlman, Chuck Groenink (Illustrator)

Overview

Perfect for reading aloud, this spare, charming picture book about a day in the life of a pill bug in suburbia is also about an unusual friendship.

Hank is a pill bug with a busy life—for a pill bug, that is. His daily routine involves nibbling a dead leaf, climbing up a long stick, avoiding a skateboarder, and playing pretend with his best friend, a human girl named Amelia, in her backyard. And when day is done, Hank likes nothing better than returning home to his cozy rock.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553511529
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/13/2016
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	53 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Evan Kuhlman is the author of the middle-grade novels Brother from a Box, The Last Invisible Boy, and Great Ball of Light and of Wolf Boy, the highly lauded novel for adults. He lives in Ohio. Visit him at authorevankuhlman.wordpress.com.

Chuck Groenink has illustrated several picture books, among them Rufus the Writer by Elizabeth Bram, Santa Clauses by Bob Raczka, The Backwards Birthday Party by Tom Chapin and John Forster, and Under a Pig Tree by Margie Palatini. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he now lives and works in the Hudson Valley, New York. Learn more at ChuckGroenink.com.

Editorial Reviews

The energy of art and text move seamlessly down to nighttime—and a young reader’s nap or bedtime. Excellent layout, text, and illustrations make for a thoroughly satisfying story.”—Kirkus Reviews starred review

"A striking aspect of the dynamic digital artwork is the shifting sense of scale, which demonstrates clearly that size is a relative concept. An eye-catching picture book with an intrepid little hero."— Booklist starred review

"Big, it seems, doesn’t need to refer to revelations, drama, or physical size; it can speak instead to the significance of having a friend who is deeply simpatico."— Publishers Weekly starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2016-05-14
Pill bug Hank's day moves from ordinary to extraordinary when Amelia, a dark-skinned girl with huge eyes and black braids, gives him a ride on her pilot's helmet.Amelia's appearance on the cover, gazing down at the diminutive, sweet-faced Hank, is a welcome addition to shelves groaning with light-skinned cover models. Amelia plays her stellar role after Hank begins his day. In large print against white paper, Hank's daily ritual of crawling out from under a rock is related: as he "shimmies through tall grass" and "nibbles on a dead leaf." Readers see and read about Hank's world—including other insects—through his slow, ground-level progression, appropriately depicted in earth tones. Humorous labels ("weird worm") are hand-lettered. One funny sequence shows Hank's laborious climb up a tiny twig—his "exercise stick." The climax arrives as Amelia carefully lifts Hank onto her helmet, then rushes around her yard, arms widespread, pretending to be Amelia Earhart. The narrative continues in large print, while speech bubbles are used for Amelia's narration of their flight around the world: "In Paris, the plane just misses the Eiffel Tower." After Amelia has set Hank back where she found him—a helpful hint to budding naturalists—Hank retraces his steps back to his home. The energy of art and text move seamlessly down to nighttime—and a young reader's nap or bedtime. Excellent layout, text, and illustrations make for a thoroughly satisfying story. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews