Williams (Behind the Bedroom Wall, 1996, etc.) tells of an estranged father and daughter in a novel that gains strength from the magnitude of the gulf between them, and loses power when that gulf is too-easily bridged. Her mother is gone, and Mary Elizabeth’s angry, bitter father has no use for her. When he heads out to kill a wild stallion who keeps luring away the mares that are the family’s livelihood, Mary Elizabeth goes with him, hoping to save the stallion. With them comes a stranger, never named, who may be Mary Elizabeth’s real father. When she is almost killed, and the stranger offers to let her leave with him, she is tempted and her father begins to have a change of heart. Despite Williams’s poetic writing and steady revealing of Mary Elizabeth’s character, she resorts to melodramatics: the father, who was grimly determined to kill the stallion, becomes equally determined to save it; he completely changes his attitude toward his daughter, as well. Only his inconsistent characterization mars the piece, but it is on his credibility that the rest of the story hangs. It is often compelling, and many passages are filled with loss and longing that are nearly palpable. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-6193-2
Page Count: 100
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
Fans of Cameron’s Huey and Julian stories (More Stories Huey Tells, 1997, etc.) are in for a treat as Gloria, their friend from those tales, gets a book of her own and graciously allows the two brothers to share it . In the first tale, Gloria makes a wonderful card for her mother, but the wind blows it away and it ends up in the cage of a cantankerous parrot. Thanks to Mr. Bates, Huey and Julian’s dad, the day is saved, as is the burgeoning friendship that Gloria and the boys have struck up with new neighbor Latisha in the story, “The Promise.” In another story, Gloria has to deal with a huge problem—fractions—and this time it’s her dad who helps her through it. Mr. Bates proves helpful again when the group trains an “obsessed” puppy, while Gloria’s mother is supportive when Gloria is unintentionally hurt by her three best friends. The stories are warm and funny, as Gloria, a spunky kid who gets into some strange predicaments, finds out that her friends and wise, loving adults are good to have around when trouble beckons. Great fun, with subtly placed, positive messages that never take center stage. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 9, 2000
ISBN: 0-374-32670-3
Page Count: 93
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79899-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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