None
Danneberg follows up on the hilarity of First Day Jitters (2000) with a hair-raising account of the indomitable Sarah Jane Hartwell’s first year of teaching. The epistolary tale is comprised of letters to Mrs. Hartwell from her students, principal, janitorial staff, and Phil, the local firefighter. Danneberg’s dry humor is in full evidence in the course of her witty commentaries, made all the more humorous by their droll delivery. The deadpan style of the children’s letters is a perfect foil for the wild escapades they refer to so innocently. An apology for vomiting on Sarah Jane’s shoes, a letter marveling at Mrs. Hartwell’s ability to leap a museum railing in a single bound, and a note from Phil requesting Sarah Jane not to engage in any more flammable experiments, among others, reveal the true story of this eventful year. Dating from September to May, the letters chart not only the misadventures of the class but the blossoming of Sarah Jane into a seasoned professional. Love’s uproarious illustrations are over-flowing with comic touches, providing ample details for leisurely perusals of the pages. Her exuberant pictures capture the mad-cap spirit of the story without becoming ludicrous or compromising the tale’s warmth. Both funny and touching, this beguiling tale of a teacher’s metamorphosis is perfect to share with students and educators alike. (Picture book. 5-9)
None NonePub Date: Feb. 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-58089-084-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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