by Phyllis Root & illustrated by Delphine Durand ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2005
Obsessive-compulsive flap-lifters will be particularly pleased by the multitude of tiny doors, windows and cupboards in this exercise in cumulative carpentry. Capable Jill and her feline assistant find themselves building room after room onto the cozy house they’ve just finished, as Little Jack Horner, Little Bo Peep, three kittens, a dish, a spoon and numerous other nursery-rhyme denizens arrive. The durable cut flaps stay put, but the scenes visible behind them change with each new spread, as new residents meet and mingle. It all culminates in a huge foldout that shows the entire interior. Noting, “There’s no room left for me and my cat. / Something will have to be done about that!,” Jill hies off to a distant hilltop and builds anew. Closing with a final popup of her new cottage, this colorful interactive romp, drenched in small detail, will keep young audiences entranced. (Picture book/novelty. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-7636-1008-9
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2005
Share your opinion of this book
More by Liza Ketchum
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Phyllis Root & Gary D. Schmidt ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
BOOK REVIEW
by Liza Ketchum & Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Phyllis Root ; illustrated by Claudia McGehee
by Lois Lowry & illustrated by Middy Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Lois Lowry
BOOK REVIEW
by Lois Lowry
BOOK REVIEW
by Lois Lowry ; illustrated by Jonathan Stroh
BOOK REVIEW
by Lois Lowry
by Teri Sloat & Betty Huffman & illustrated by Teri Sloat ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2004
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Teri Sloat
BOOK REVIEW
by Teri Sloat ; illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet
BOOK REVIEW
by Teri Sloat ; illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet
BOOK REVIEW
by Teri Sloat and illustrated by Stefano Vitale
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.