Cast in the spirit of her evocative picture-book text for First Painter (illustrated by Rocco Baviera, 2000), veteran novelist and nonfiction writer Lasky offers an apt, poetic tribute to an American classic. Set in O’Keeffe’s legendary retreat, Ghost Ranch, near Abiquiú, N.M., this brief introduction presents a representative day in the later life of the 20th-century painter. Meditative, atmospheric and quietly affecting paintings by the Hans Christian Andersen Award–nominated Israeli painter Eitan consistently evoke O’Keeffe’s singular, curvilinear style and desert-inflected palette. Both author and illustrator employ a light yet meaning-rich touch; the text is spare, the accompanying images (some almost like playful spot art) evoke this unique American landscape and the intense inner life and rooted sensibility of this astounding artist. The book’s quotidian approach is a clear choice—the author wants readers to know this woman through the simple accretion of daily details rather than through an ambitious, fact-driven narrative. Wonderfully understated, this is, on balance, a handsome and appealing complement to Jeanette Winter’s more fact-based My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait (1998) or Rachel Rodriguez and Julie Paschkis’s more inclusive Through Georgia’s Eyes (2006). Includes a brief two-page biographical note with a reproduction of Rust Red Hills, ca. 1930. (author’s note, selected bibliography, sources) (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: June 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-374-32529-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Melanie Kroupa/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2009
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
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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