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
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...
The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.
Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-59643-750-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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