Two friends decide to build a raft to sail out to where the big fish are. Scavenging for the necessary materials, they find some old railroad ties stuck in the ground and haul the long, heavy load down to the river. It’s there they realize the raft must be buoyant. At dinner, one boy solves the problem through trial and error, arranging fish sticks and doughnuts on his plate. Procuring inner tubes, more railroad ties, rope, hammers, and nails, the boys work very hard on their shared project. When they put the raft in the water and it actually floats, they are elated by their accomplishment and plan their excursion for the next day. That night a huge storm almost destroys everything. The narrator wakes to find his cautious friend already down at the dock struggling to hold onto the raft by the rope, “as if he was hauling in a huge fish,” but the raft is swept away. Morning comes and the boys begin searching for their creation, although Bill is convinced it’s a goner. Downstream they come upon the wreckage and it seems like a lost cause. Bill surprises his friend when he suggests they start building again, and together they fix up the storm-ravaged raft and make it out to sea. London’s story is a wonderful tale about friendship, independence, intelligence, and the satisfaction derived from persevering to overcome obstacles in order to achieve a goal. Gustavson (The Day Eddie Met the Author, see above, etc.) fills two-page spreads with rich paintings that immerse readers into the wet and wild world the two boys experienced one unforgettable summer. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7636-0922-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
McDonald’s irrepressible third-grader (Judy Moody Gets Famous, 2001, etc.) takes a few false steps before hitting full stride. This time, not only has her genius little brother Stink submitted a competing entry in the Crazy Strips Band-Aid design contest, but in the wake of her science teacher’s heads-up about rainforest destruction and endangered animals, she sees every member of her family using rainforest products. It’s all more than enough to put her in a Mood, which gets her in trouble at home for letting Stink’s pet toad, Toady, go free, and at school for surreptitiously collecting all the pencils (made from rainforest cedar) in class. And to top it off, Stink’s Crazy Strips entry wins a prize, while she gets . . . a certificate. Chronicled amusingly in Reynolds’s frequent ink-and-tea drawings, Judy goes from pillar to post—but she justifies the pencil caper convincingly enough to spark a bottle drive that nets her and her classmates not only a hundred seedling trees for Costa Rica, but the coveted school Giraffe Award (given to those who stick their necks out), along with T-shirts and ice cream coupons. Judy’s growing corps of fans will crow “Rare!” right along with her. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-7636-1446-7
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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