Hieronymus White was a know-it-all bird. He had theories about everything, from when baby birds should begin to fly (``As soon as they could, and as far and as high'') to what kind of bread to eat. But Hieronymus's arrogance, while not excusable, was understandable: The only child of immigrant parents who had left their own country to escape persecution, Hieronymus grew up with the heavy burden of trying to fulfill their dreams. But they were extremely demanding and not affectionate towards their son, and Hieronymus learned to excel in flight and in school but not how to make friends. So he was a wonder boy and a loner, and fame and fortune allowed him to surround himself with yes- men. Even his wife, Sabrina, didn't challenge Hieronymus. He was also as strict with his children, when he had time for them, as his parents had been with him. When Hieronymus's daughter, Amanda, gave birth, he looked forward to teaching his granddaughter how to fly even higher and better than he did. But the child, Selene, was born with a crippled wing. Suddenly ``he knew that no one could always be right,/And something changed inside Hieronymus White.'' Hieronymus lavished on Selene all the tenderness of a lifetime. She is now grown, a writer with a child of her own, to whom she tells stories of her world-famous, wonderful grandfather, Hieronymus White. It doesn't seem possible, but it's true: In Seuss-like poetry, Moss (The Other Side of the Door, 1991, etc.) tells an amazingly profound and sophisticated story of a bird's reevaluation of life. (Fiction. All ages)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-345-38590-X
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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