Pete And Polo's Farmyard Adventure - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439309131 ISBN 13: 9780439309134

Publisher: Orchard, 2002

Synopsis

This dynamic duo is back from their big-school adventure, and now they're having a ball solving a mystery down on the farmyard. Features simple, direct text and vivid illustrations.

Join Pete, Polo, and Grandpa as they solve the mystery of the ten lost ducklings. Where could those ducks be? Pete and Polo criss-cross the farm in search of their ten feathered friends. There's one in Buffy's water bowl and another two in the pigs' trough. Where there's water the ducklings are sure to be found. In a surprise ending, all ten runaways end up together for a quacking good time. Splish, splash--bath time will never be the same.

About this title

About the Author

Adrian Reynolds is one of today's most popular children's illustrators. After studying illustration at Anglia and then working in a specialist children's bookshop, he went on to illustrate the popular Pete and Polo series for Orchard. Adrian's reputation as an exciting new artist spread, and he is now known for his lively and fun illustrations like those in the fantastic Big Red Bath and the bestselling Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs - winner of the Sheffield Children's Book Prize and shortlisted for the Children's Book Award and now an animated series on television. Adrian lives in Cambridge.

Review

The boy and the stuffed polar bear from Pete and Polo's Big School Adventure (2000) take a trip to Grandpa's farm. It happens that on this day, ten ducklings have gone missing: their waterhole has dried up. Polo mentions to Pete that the ducklings must be thirsty, so they go in search of all the liquid locales on the farm. They find a couple of ducklings in the dog's water bowl, and a few more at the pump. There's another in the watering can and another under the old tap and more still in the pig's trough. After all ten have been located-this can be read as a counting primer-they all disappear again when Pete goes off to tell Grandpa that he has found the fowl. That's because Polo has taken them inside for a bath in the kitchen sink. Grandpa gets the hose and fills their little pond and all is right again in their world. Reynolds's depictions of the English farm are lovely, with all its implements and enclosed fields and outbuildings, and he also ably conveys the pleasures of a day in the country. He makes it real that this is the kind of adventure a kid could have on his own, inviting a free association with Pete.--Kirkus Reviews

Pete and his toy polar bear have a grand adventure when they visit Grandpa's farm on a hot summer day. They discover that the ducks have disappeared from the dried-up pond and set off to find them. Knowing that the creatures like to swim, Pete searches alternative swimming sites. Gathering the ducks in small groups, from the dog's water bowl, the pump, and other wet spots, Pete counts and recounts until all 10 are found. The brightly colored spreads are simple and attractive, and the text is unobtrusively placed in open areas of the pictures. Lively illustrations of puzzled pigs, curious sheep, excited ducks, and a confident little boy will delight readers. The child's-eye view is especially successful; the size and perspective of familiar objects are just as Pete would see them. He is front and center, and all-important in his world. This appealing story will work equally well when shared one-on-one or when paired with other duckling tales or barnyard favorites for storytimes.--School Library Journal

In this sequel to Reynolds' Pete and Polo's Big School Adventure (2000), young Pete and his stuffed animal, a polar bear named Polo, head for Grandpa's farm. When Grandpa discovers that the duck pond has dried up and the ducklings have strayed, Pete and Polo decide to look for them. They ride off on a toy tractor that pulls a little wagon and collect the ducklings wherever they find water: the dog's dish, the old pump, the pigs' trough, a dripping tap, a watering can, and a bucket. Defined by lively drawings and enhanced by appealing details, the watercolor illustrations glow with brilliant colors. The many large-scale, double-page pictures combine with the accessible story to make this picture book a natural for reading aloud in school classes and library story hours. --Booklist

About this edition

• Publisher: Orchard
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0439309131
• ISBN 13: 9780439309134
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Reynolds Adrian