The Kooky Kinkajou (The Nocturnals Early Reader Level 3 Series)

by Tracey Hecht, Josie Yee (Illustrator)

Overview

“This gentle adventure supports newly independent readers” —Booklist

This adventure-filled Level 3 Nocturnals Early Reader grows confidence in reading with engaging illustrations, short sentences!

Bismark the wacky sugar glider is bored!
He complains to his friends, Dawn the serious fox and Tobin the sweet pangolin. When Karina the kinkajou comes along, she shows the Nocturnals how to use their imaginations to cure boredom! Bonus Content includes Nocturnals Animal Glossary with Fun Facts!

GREAT FOR EARLY READERS AGES 6–8 (Grades 2-3)
Level 3 books feature complex plots, new vocabulary and grow information skills

Teaches Life Skills: Imagination and Accepting New Ideas.
Perfect for kids who like unusual animals!

The 8-book Nocturnals Grow & Read Early Reader Collection encourages kids at all reading levels who like adventurous stories featuring nocturnal animals

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944020255
Publisher:	Fabled Films Press
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Series:	Nocturnals Early Reader Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tracey Hecht is a writer and entrepreneur who created The Nocturnals, the critically acclaimed middle grade and early reader series. The American Booksellers Association chose her first book, The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions, as a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. In addition, her Grow & Read early reader book, The Chestnut Challenge, was given a Mom’s Choice Gold Award. With the New York Public Library, she has also created a Read Aloud Writing Program that has since been conducted in hundreds of schools, libraries, and bookstores. Other books in the Nocturnals middle grade series include The Ominous Eye, The Fallen Star, and The Hidden Kingdom. Tracey currently splits her time between New York City and Oquossoc, Maine, with her husband and four children.

Josie Yee is an award winning illustrator specializing in children's books. She lives in New York City with her daughter, Ana, and their cat, Dude.

Editorial Reviews

The series addresses bullying and empathy in an easy, accessible way, and the books are meant to be read aloud.

New York Post

Divided into five short chapters, this gentle adventure supports newly independent readers with engaging color illustrations, textual repetition, and ample white space to cushion its sentences. Helpful back matter includes “Fun Facts” about each of the characters, a glossary for new vocabulary, and information on the free resources available on the publisher’s website.

Booklist

There’s much to like about this Level 3 early reader... Karina the kinkajou shows up and shows them how to use their imaginations, opening up a whole new world of possibilities... In addition to learning about friendship and imagination, readers will learn about nocturnal animals.

Story Monsters

Reviews for The Kooky Kinkajou

“Divided into five short chapters, this gentle adventure supports newly independent readers with engaging color illustrations, textual repetition, and ample white space to cushion its sentences. Helpful back matter includes “Fun Facts” about each of the characters, a glossary for new vocabulary, and information on the free resources available on the publisher’s website.”—Booklist

"Illustrations are large with multiple spreads and a color palette that is well suited to a story about nocturnal animals… VERDICT Purchase where the series has a following.”—School Library Journal

“Imagination can surely overcome boredom.”—Kirkus

“Cute, colorful illustrations bring the story to life. Helpful information about each animal is provided at the back of the book, along with a small glossary of some of the silly words and a suggestion to visit the publisher’s website for reproducible activities to go with the book. First/second grade teachers might like to have it, and others from the series, in the classroom during an animal unit.”—Youth Services Book Review

“There’s much to like about this Level 3 early reader… Karina the kinkajou shows up and shows them how to use their imaginations, opening up a whole new world of possibilities… In addition to learning about friendship and imagination, readers will learn about nocturnal animals.”—Story Monsters

Praise for The Nocturnals Grow & Read Early Reader Series

"Beginning readers will enjoy this tale and will cheer on the threesome who defeat a bully by using their words.”—School Library Journal

“Hecht successfully set the stage for more adventurous outings down the road...”—Publishers Weekly

"This tale uses plenty of important vocabulary words, easily decipherable within context, while showing how friends who stick together can facedown even the meanest bully."—Booklist

“The series addresses bullying and empathy in an easy, accessible way, and the books are meant to be read aloud.”—New York Post

From the Publisher

2019-05-22
Bismark again finds himself on the outside as a new nocturnal animal introduces herself to his group.

The sugar glider is bored. Dawn, a red fox, says he just needs to use his imagination. As if on cue, Karina the kinkajou arrives. Bismark doesn't appreciate her vibrant imagination. He calls both her and her "sparkle sprites" (aka fireflies) "kooky," later saying she is "full of ballyhoo" and telling her, "I think you are cuckoo." This comes after the trio of friends has followed Karina over a stone-path "river," under a weeping-willow "waterfall," and past a tree-trunk "rainbow" on the way to a "sparkle sprite spectacular." Tobin the pangolin gleefully joins in with the imaginative fun, Bismark remains skeptical, and Dawn, a sage look on her face, seems to take the role of adult. After Bismark's furious outburst, Karina hugs him, explains "We're just finding fun things to do!" and then "flies" across a "canyon." Tobin and Dawn follow, and Bismark has to choose between being "a little kooky, too," or being bored alone. Yee's animation-inspired illustrations do little to extend the tale other than overportraying Bismark's bad attitude and anger. Backmatter includes factual information about each of the nocturnal animals and a glossary of "kooky words." Unfortunately, there is no mention of mental health, bullying, or the hurtful nature of the words Bismark uses.

Imagination can surely overcome boredom, but the unkindness in this book isn't imaginary. (Early reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Very highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.

Midwest Book Review

Cute, colorful illustrations bring the story to life. Helpful information about each animal is provided at the back of the book, along with a small glossary of some of the silly words and a suggestion to visit the publisher’s website for reproducible activities to go with the book. First/second grade teachers might like to have it, and others from the series, in the classroom during an animal unit.

Youth Services Book Review

09/20/2019

Gr 1–3-Bismark, a sugar glider, is bored. When his friends fail to convince him that there is always more to see and do, a new friend appears. Karina, a kinkajou, attempts to engage them all in some imaginative play and quickly wins over Bismark's friends. Bismark, however, remains nonplussed and calls Karina "cuckoo" and "kooky." It takes a hug and an explanation to persuade Bismark that it can be fun to be a little silly. He never apologizes; he simply says it's fun to be with Karina. Illustrations are large with multiple spreads and a color palette that is well suited to a story about nocturnal animals. However, the writing feels stilted and didactic and the text layout does not always seem to be related to the illustrations. Sometimes text is centered on the page. Other times, text is aligned left or right. The right alignment could make tracking difficult for readers transitioning into longer stories. Readers able to read at a second to third grade level but still wanting illustrations will be better served by Kate DiCamillo's "Mercy Watson" books or Fran Manushkin's "Katie Woo" or "Pedro" series. VERDICT Purchase where the series has a following.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal