A daring but not wholly successful book from the innovative creator of Yo! Yes? (1993/Caldecott Honor). Imagining a friendly (though unpersonified) iceberg gives Elizabeth self-confidence, which is exactly what she needs when a huge, overfriendly stranger accosts her (``What a charming, pretty girl do I see. Come tell me your name. Tell it quickly!''). Indeed, ``something [is] not right,'' and when the woman chatters on about how they'll ``fizz with the insects...trot with the armadillos'' and scoops Elizabeth up in a frightening parody of Vera Williams's ``More, More, More,'' Said the Baby, the child imagines what her iceberg would do, says ``Get away from me!'' and escapes on her bicycle. The expressively simple art and spritely, surreal tone do not at all disguise the earnest message here; unfortunately, in real life it may not be so easy to thwart so hefty and determined a molester. Still, these characters are distilled to a symbolic essence; by touching on children's secret fears, the dreamlike representation may help open them to discussion. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-531-06817-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1994
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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