The second book from this talented author-illustrator is as delightfully fresh and innovative as Albert's Alphabet (1991). The trusty goose, it seems, is not just a carpenter; he's also the genius behind the school play, The Owl and the Pussycat. From the moment the little animals group for auditions (the pig hopes for, and gets, the role of pussy-cat, while the piggy-wig is played by a hedgehog), Tryon skillfully orchestrates the necessary preparations (construction of masks and sets goes busily forward during rehearsals on stage) and childlike dramas (Pussy-cat gets the jitters right before curtain time) in cleverly phrased verse that mimics the form of Lear's poem, and in her splendid illustrations, crammed with entrancing details. Subtle gestures reveal character; a checklist epitomizes Albert's serene efficiency; the goose and a little owl are glimpsed hanging stars from the catwalk, far above the stage (safe for them: they have wings). Then, a broad double spread showing the closed curtain gives a dramatic sense of expectation; a priceless view of a comically classic school-play audience of animal relatives, including excited younger siblings; and the play itself, the illustrative style subtly modulated to suggest the theatrical illusion. In soft color-pencil art, the animals are as winsome and full of character as Hoban's Frances, the bustle orderly and satisfyingly productive. Any school would be fortunate to have the unflappable Albert—and every child should have a chance to meet him. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: March 31, 1992
ISBN: 0-689-31525-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1992
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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