He was an ordinary mole—digging, tunneling, moving dirt—who loved his family, and was strong, brave, and steady. At times Mole was envious of the Smartmoles, Bigmoles, and Starmoles and he wished he weren’t so ordinary. At bedtime when Babymole wants to have a dragon story read to him, he asks if dragons are real. Mole answers yes, his great-grandmoles had fought them. The next day, when dragons attack the Mountains where Mole works, all moles became Moles Afraid. As the Mountains crumble, Mole knows he has a job to do and he digs and digs, rescuing moles. The other moles dub him “Bravemole.” Now they become Moles All Together, determined to fight dragons to protect all babymoles and to build a world without dragons. Water-soluble crayon illustrations suitably characterize Mole in a red vest and blue helmet with intense blue dominating background scenes. Extremely text-heavy, this will have to be read in a one-to-one sitting and adults should first read it for themselves. Back flap copy contains a message from the author explaining that she wrote the story for children affected by September 11 who need a story to feel safe. On the front flap: “A modern-day fable inspired by the tragedy that honors the extraordinary capacity of ordinary people to make a difference in the world.” Purposeful and honorable. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-399-23962-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2002
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
One of the watershed moments in African-American history—the defeat of James Braddock at the hands of Joe Louis—is here given an earnest picture-book treatment. Despite his lack of athletic ability, Sammy wants desperately to be a great boxer, like his hero, getting boxing lessons from his friend Ernie in exchange for help with schoolwork. However hard he tries, though, Sammy just can’t box, and his father comforts him, reminding him that he doesn’t need to box: Joe Louis has shown him that he “can be the champion at anything [he] want[s].” The high point of this offering is the big fight itself, everyone crowded around the radio in Mister Jake’s general store, the imagined fight scenes played out in soft-edged sepia frames. The main story, however, is so bent on providing Sammy and the reader with object lessons that all subtlety is lost, as Mister Jake, Sammy’s father, and even Ernie hammer home the message. Both text and oil-on-canvas-paper illustrations go for the obvious angle, making the effort as a whole worthy, but just a little too heavy-handed. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 1-58430-161-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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