Hank's big day : the story of a bug

Title:

Author:

Kuhlman, Evan, author.

ISBN:

9780553511505

9780553511512

Personal Author:

Kuhlman, Evan, author.

Edition:

First Edition.

Publication Information:

New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, [2016]

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 23 x 29 cm

Abstract:

Hank is a pill bug whose 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.

Subject Term:

Wood lice (Crustaceans) -- Juvenile fiction.

Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile fiction.

Best friends -- Juvenile fiction.

Play -- Juvenile fiction.

Added Author:

Groenink, Chuck,

Electronic Access:

Cover image 9780553511505.jpg

Document ID:

SD_ILS:2244421

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Library	Collection	Collection	Call Number	Status
Searching... Betty Rodriguez Library (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Book Area	K	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Boron Branch Library (Kern Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	E KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Chowchilla Branch (Madera Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	KUHLMAN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Coalinga District Library (Coalinga-Huron)	Searching... Unknown	Juvenile Easy	E KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dos Palos Branch Library (Merced Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture	XE KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fowler Branch Library (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Book Area	K	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Frazier Park Branch (Kern Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	E KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Huron Branch Library (Coalinga-Huron)	Searching... Unknown	Juvenile Easy	JF KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Kingsburg Branch Library (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Book Area	K	Searching... Unknown
Searching... LeGrand Branch Library (Merced Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture	XE KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Madera County Library (Madera Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	KUHLMAN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Northeast Branch Library (Kern Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	E KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Reedley Branch Library (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Book Area	K	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Rosamond Branch Library (Kern Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	E KUH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Visalia Library (Tulare Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Children's Picture Books	E KUHLMAN EVAN	Searching... Unknown

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.

Author Notes

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 atauthorevankuhlman.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.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-It's a simple life for Hank the pill bug: he awakens from under his home beneath a rock, shimmies through the tall grass, nibbles on leaves, plays dead to avoid a scary grasshopper, and meets new and old friends among the mushrooms and sticks. Hank's life gets much more exciting, however, when he meets a new friend, Amelia, who makes Hank her copilot as she soars over the Atlantic Ocean in her airplane! Hank climbs aboard her helmet as they zip through the yard, letting Hank see his world in a whole new way. Running, zooming, and flying through the grass, they wave to the queen of England and barely miss the Eiffel Tower! All that action makes them hungry, so they stop at a café, Le Velvet Bug, to enjoy a snack before voyaging back to America. Amelia and Hank make a daring landing back home, where they reflect on their special and imaginative adventure as new friends. Back across the sidewalk, past the grasshopper, and down the stick, Hank arrives home, where he nestles again at last. This thrilling selection is an ideal choice for storytime. Whimsical mixed-media illustrations enhance the playful appeal of the tale. This debut picture book features a strong female character of color. VERDICT A lively suburban romp that captures the essence of friendship and play, with text and thoughtful details that are interspersed evenly enough to hold the attention of younger readers.-Natalie Braham, Denver Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

One suspects that every day looms large for Hank: he's a pill bug, tiny even for the insect world. Groenink (Rufus the Writer) contributes sunny digital drawings textured like screenprint art and dotted with explanatory captions (a near miss with a skateboarder is "too close for comfort!"), playing with scale and framing as the self-sufficient hero goes through his morning; Hank's "exercise stick," which initially seems as tall as a climbing wall in close-up, is revealed to be a twig. Most of the story focuses on Hank's playdate with his best friend: a human girl named Amelia, who wears an aviator cap and scarf in tribute to her famous namesake. Kuhlman (Great Ball of Light) doesn't provide any backstory for this unusual friendship, and there's something lovely and inviting about this matter-of-factness as the two enjoy an afternoon of aeronautically themed pretend play. 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. Ages 3-7. Illustrator's agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

Starting in the morning, at his home under a big rock, readers shadow Hank the pill bug for a day in his life. Hank has a breakfast of dead leaf and then sets off on a detailed and exciting journey past other small ground-dwellers (a curious cricket, a weird worm, a scary grasshopper. Yikes!), up his exercise stick, and across a big sidewalk to meet a friend. Cleverly designed, the book tells the story through droll narration (He stops to inspect a rainbow made of chalk) paired with editorializing labels from Hanks perspective on the corresponding picture (some stripey art). Vulnerable Hanks small size and wide eyes make mundane objects such as bottle caps and skateboards into gripping plot points, until at last he comes face to face with his best friend, a human child dressed as her namesake and hero, Amelia Earhart. Hank crawls onto her helmet, and she races around the yard like a plane, giving Hank (and readers, too) an amazing view of the world! The digital illustrations capture Hanks personality and charmingly convey his bugs-eye vantage point through details, size, and changes in perspective. Like this small bugs life, the book encompasses more than one might first imagine as it celebrates special friendships and the adventure one can discover in day-to-day life. julie roach (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Hank, a pill bug, lives under a big rock. In the morning, he crawls out to the lawn, where he nibbles leaves and observes a worm and insects nearby. For exercise, he climbs a long stick to the top of his rock a triumph from his perspective. Throughout the first half of the book, Hank looms large in his world. Then he crosses the perilous sidewalk. After dodging a skateboard, he meets up with his best friend, a little girl named Amelia, who runs around the yard pretending to be a pilot like her hero, Amelia Earhart. Tiny in comparison, Hank rides along on her helmet. They share a snack before he makes the long trek home and falls asleep. The simply written text tells what happens concisely, while arrows connect additional bits of commentary (What friendship looks like or Yum!) to elements in the illustrations. Often drawn in motion, Amelia is portrayed with reddish-brown skin tones that show every action and gesture clearly against the white and pale backgrounds. 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.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist