What a gift: Two delectably funny books coming out in April, old-hand Lowry's (below) and this splendid debut. While their parents go to Europe on business, Jazz and her brother Koo are left with wealthy, white-suited Grandpa Putter, whose WW II crony chauffeurs his long white car, and—from the other side—with feisty, down-to-earth Granny Hoe, who runs a hardware store where she also sells her own garden produce. Custody is shared, with the twins at Granny's on weekends, leaving plenty of room for disagreement between the spirited longtime antagonists: to the kids' consternation, their elders' ebullient bickering is continual. Ten varied incidents (Granny fixes Grandpa's car after it strands him; Jazz gets sick; the kids prepare a generous picnic for a homeless person; a parade, etc.) deftly develop several affectionate relationships, especially through the kids' efforts to get everybody together and through the grandparents' sprouting mutual respect. It's all amusingly recorded in Fakih's briskly lilting narrative and neatly cadenced dialogue. Several chapters end with nifty tallies of the characters' points of view (wittily concise, these summaries recall Barbara Porte's tongue-in-cheek humor); meanwhile, the grands' bickering makes a comical stand-in for the more bitter conflicts children endure between parents or siblings. Illustrations plentiful, though not seen in finished form; Pearson's lighthearted style should be perfect here. A delightful early chapter book, well worth reading aloud. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 16, 1992
ISBN: 0-374-32762-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-23848-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
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