Emily the Canadian goose dares to be different—she is constantly breaking flight formation with fanciful flips and loop-the-loops. Even cautious friend Sam cannot talk sense into this silly goose, who tires out and lands in a farmer's barnyard with seven plump domestic geese that are being fattened for the kill. Emily has molted her flight feathers, so it seems there's no escape from the oven. Biding her time, the day arrives when she lunges past the farmer's wife and rediscovers flight—and freedom: "It felt great to be back with her friends." It's a somewhat predictable tale, and not really worthy of the friendly art that gives Emily plenty of personality. From the comical bottoms-up, flayed-legs view of the farmer's wife's bloomers to the mournful portrait of a lone goose missing her flock, Simont's watercolors harken back to the pastoral days of Janice May Udry's A Tree Is Nice (1955), combined with the humor of his work in Karla Kuskin's The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (1982). (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-590-69075-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1997
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
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