As in Naturi Thomas's Uh-oh! It's Mama's Birthday (p. 388), a boy's good intentions are at the center of this oft-used plot of a youth who sets off to buy a gift, only to purchase something for himself instead. Kenyon finds himself in a dilemma after spending the money for his grandmother's 90th birthday gift on a new baseball glove. Realizing his mistake, he thinks hard about giving Little Dolly something that does not cost money, and puts together a book of his grandmother's much vaunted stories (none of which are recounted here). In doing so, he becomes the next ``Keeper'' of tales, an honor usually reserved for women in the family. Learning from one's mistakes is the message; readers will have to overlook the fact that the baseball-loving Kenyon gains the coveted mitt for himself in the process. The acrylic illustrations are reminiscent of James Ransome's early work; some awkward perspectives detract from the mostly effective compositions, but one scene—an aerial view of Kenyon stretched out on the floor on his stomach, the marshmallow undersides of his sneakers exposed—is quite unique. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 1-880000-58-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1997
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
At her best, Rylant’s (The Ticky-Tacky Doll, below, etc.) sweetness and sentiment fills the heart; in this outing, however, sentimentality reigns and the end result is pretty gooey. Pandora keeps a lighthouse: her destiny is to protect ships at sea. She’s lonely, but loves her work. She rescues Seabold and heals his broken leg, and he stays on to mend his shipwrecked boat. This wouldn’t be so bad but Pandora’s a cat and Seabold a dog, although they are anthropomorphized to the max. Then the duo rescue three siblings—mice!—and make a family together, although Rylant is careful to note that Pandora and Seabold each have their own room. Choosing what you love, caring for others, making a family out of love, it is all very well, but this capsizes into silliness. Formatted to look like the start of a new series. Oh, dear. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84880-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
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