In this awkwardly cut but adventurous adaptation, seven (or maybe five, or some other number, depending on the illustration) insect-sized Hairy Peruvians set sail across the Pacific in a modified Incan teapot, surviving storms, a close encounter with comparatively monstrous Galapagos iguanas and other hazards along the way. In typically impressionistic, Turner-esque style, Ingpen captures the voyage with engrossing drama, pauses for a detailed cutaway view of the rotund vessel and then sets his diminutive, hirsute folk upon an Australian shore—“It was not like Peru, but they would make it their home. Finally, they were home.” He closes with a photo of modern children, who actually celebrate the supposed arrival in a local holiday inspired by this original tale’s first appearance some 20 years ago. Steer readers eager for further adventures of these wee folk to Michael Lawrence’s Poppykettle Papers (2001). (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-698-40025-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Minedition/Penguin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
Every year since kindergarten, Harry’s Halloween costume has gotten scarier and scarier. What’s it going to be this year? He’s not telling. His classmates are all stunned when he shows up, not as some monster or a weird alien (well, not really)—but as neatly dressed Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, wielding a notebook and out to get “just the facts, ma’am.” As she has in Harry’s 11 previous appearances (15, counting the ones his classmate Song Lee headlines), Kline (Marvin and the Mean Words, 1997, etc.) captures grammar-school atmosphere, personalities, and incidents perfectly, from snits to science projects gone hilariously wrong. She even hands Harry/Friday a chance to exercise his sleuthing abilities, with a supply of baby powder “fairy dust” gone mysteriously missing. As legions of fans have learned to expect, Harry comes through with flying colors, pinning down the remorseful culprit in 11 minutes flat. No surprises here, just reliable, child-friendly, middle-grade fare. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-670-88864-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2000
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