Where Do Animals Go for Vacation?

by Steve A Erickson

Overview

What if animals took vacations too?

If they did, where would they go?

Can you guess where a turtle would travel?

Or what a kangaroo might do?

Each animal would surely choose someplace perfect for them.

Let's find out...and learn a surprising fact about each animal!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798891320178
Publisher:	Atmosphere Press
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 9 Years

About the Author

Growing up in Minnesota, Steve enjoyed playing baseball anddrawing. When he realized that not being able to hit a curveballwould probably keep him out of the major leagues, he followedhis creative inclination and enrolled at Drake University. Aftergraduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, he worked morethan forty years in the advertising industry, first as an art directorand then as a creative director.Now retired, Steve lives near his three sons in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with his dog Alex. As a boy, Steve was always intrigued bywhat might really be happening behind a closed refrigerator door.So he decided to combine his creative talents and his youthfulcuriosity by writing and illustrating his first book, "A Very ChillingMystery" for his six grandchildren.He believes strongly in the value of reading, learning and travel... things that allow us to see beyond the boundaries of our ownworlds. He hopes that reading "Where Do Animals Go for Vacation?"will not only be fun and entertaining (and also a bit educational)but will inspire readers to make constant journeys in their lives ...and their imaginations.

Editorial Reviews

2024-02-21
Exciting or relaxing travel locations for animals are the focus of this silly rhyming picture book by author and illustrator Erickson.

The narrator helps readers imagine what animal vacations might be like: Would a turtle go skiing, to feel the speed of flying down a mountain? Would sharks watch Jaws,and spiders play video games? The narrator posits that ostriches would take hang-gliding lessons to finally fly. Talkative parrots might get a voice break by visiting their local library. A beaver could rest its teeth by building with LEGO bricks, and a penguin could travel to the tropics. Kangaroos might choose to scooter around the Outback instead of hopping, and armadillos might replace a soccer ball in a tournament, just for kicks. Sloths, on the other hand, “sleep most of the day, / Hardly moving and…hey! / Sloths don’t need a getaway break! / They’re slow, lazy and rarely awake.” No matter where the children choose to go, the narrator promises, they can get there with imagination. Erickson’s goofy verses exercise the imagination with ridiculous ideas, such as elephants in space and giraffes who blend in while visiting the big city. The majority of the poems maintain the same scansion, while a few have shorter phrases that throw off the rhythm, but never the rhyme. Choices of vocabulary are generally accessible, with a few tougher words (satellite, crustaceans) made clear in the illustrated context. Erickson’s cartoon images are a perfect match for the tone of the poems, using plenty of bright, eye-catching colors and anthropomorphic details children will enjoy (the section featuring the giraffe uses a cool design feature, having readers turn the book on its side to emphasize the great heights of both the giraffe and the skyscrapers). Factoids included with each spread offer real info about the animal subjects, though the tiny font may require young readers to ask for help (and adult readers to reach for a pair of glasses).

A clever travel book to kick the imagination into gear.

Kirkus Reviews