Eat your vegetables. It's an ancient refrain, one whose totalitarian ring has always rubbed kids the wrong way. Here it gets recycled with all the subtlety of a stomach ache. It's vegetable vaudeville night at the Garden Street Theater, and the cukes and taters are performing their hearts out, but edification, not entertainment, gets top billing, and the agenda is hammered home with a vengeance. These veggies are bores who can't stop chirping their healthy attributes: Ms. Shelly and the Wee Peas are ``Protein-packed'' and the Veggettes are ``vitamin powered.'' Subtitles assault readers like brain-washing sessions: ``Beans are a tummy's friend'' and ``Perfect at mealtimes and in between.'' There is even a ditty called ``Veggies Are Not for Sissies.'' Riddles have the snap of old celery—``What's green and flies? Super Pea!'' The vibrantly colored artwork—cut paper and prints, found objects, and nice linework combined in dazzling collage scenes— show the care and good intentions behind the book, but nearly bury subtitles as well as the copyright and title pages. An annotated listing of vegetables closes the show. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-316-11363-8
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
