Twice bestirred, twice entangled in human affairs (An Older Kind of Magic, The Nargun and the Stars), the earth-spirits Wrightson has invoked from Australian aboriginal lore are now ubiquitous, a primordial underground—whose rising, previously an incident, takes on the dimensions and import of a Flood. Or, in the careless heat of an Australian Christmas season, of an incipient ice age. On the continent's green edges live the Happy Folk; scattered behind are the Inlanders and the land's own dark-skinned People (with appropriate eco-moral values: the coastal city dwellers, the residents of the outback, and the Aborigines). An icy blast in the desert, the local People's knowledge of the ice-bearded, clamorous Ninya ("No men left to sing them back into their caves")—plus newspaper reports of sudden, approaching frosts—take young Wirrun of the People from his city gasstation job to fight the peril that only he recognizes. As sidekick he has the petulant, wispy Mimi, stick-figure femme fatale; for protection, the Power bestowed by the first of the creatures in their path. Wirrun has sent for the men from Mount Conner to sing the Ninya down; what he must also do, he learns, is beat the Ninya to the Eldest Nargun, source of fire, and rouse it to hold them until the men arrive. In the final seaside reckoning, however, the liveliest part is played by some Aboriginals Wirrun enlists—and by an observant Inlander tipped off because, for once, he sees the People "brisk and in good humor." Apart from the Happy Folk caricature, Wrightson does well by her character mix—even allowing the Mimi, most sensitive of spirits, to remind Wirrun of "the curious thing that men were made for: to care." The levity and sentiment are a relief from the ponderousness—itself redeemed, in large measure, by Wrightson's precise, muscular writing.
Pub Date: Sept. 9, 1977
ISBN: 0345332482
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1977
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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
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