An old-fashioned tale of kids making their not-so-ordinary way among the rich and famous. En route to Europe in the 20's, Felix—enjoined by his concert-pianist Papa to ``Practice, practice''—despairs of ever playing as well as sister Fanny; but he does learn some prestidigitation from a magician aboard ship. In England, while Papa plays a command performance, Fanny and three other children (``cousins of a duchess'') get trapped in a castle tower. Following the sound of music, Felix runs for help; then, while Papa interrupts his playing to rescue the frightened children, Felix mollifies and amuses his audience, finally making the delightful discovery that Papa wants to learn to palm a coin, too (``With your fingers, it ought to be a cinch,'' Felix allows). It's an unlikely but satisfying fantasy, with handsome pictures of the elegant ocean liner and country house, and lush impressionistic settings accented with the dramatic black of pianos and tuxedos—while Felix's chance to advise Papa to ``practice, practice'' makes the perfect denouement. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1993
ISBN: 0-399-22428-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1993
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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