From A to Z, Lawlor has collected American folk sayings to tickle the funnybone. The similes, as coupled with Long’s comic cartoon-like illustrations, will linger in readers’ imaginations. The picture that accompanies “Jittery as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs” traps a nervous cat anxiously clutching his tail in the midst of obliviously rocking adults. “Happy as a clam at high water” depicts a smug clam looking up at a fox and a bird, both unable to catch him up in their claws. The alphabetical list seems a rather weak glue to hold the sayings together, but the significant author’s note provides ample descriptions of these “proverbial comparisons,” most of which hail from the Ozarks. The origin of each simile is explored, along with extra historical information where needed. Budding writers may well pick up a few new sayings from the body of the text, but for many readers, the backmatter will be the most interesting feature of the book. Whether this detracts from or enhances the reading experience depends on whether readers are as curious as a cat or ornery as a skunk. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2229-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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