The sequel to A Day No Pigs Would Die (1972) once again follows the young Robert Peck on his path to adulthood, but the strengths of the first novel — plain people, simple language, and old-fashioned Shaker values — are virtually parodied in this latest. The hero bears the author's name, and the action takes place in a small town in Peck's native Vermont. Told from 13-year-old Rob's perspective, the narrative begins with his father's death, which leaves him in charge of the land, his mother, his aunt, and $12-a-month mortgage payments that are almost impossible to scrape together even this early in the Depression. Next, their faithful, old cow goes dry and gets sold for dog meat. Then, their hard-working ox keels over. Finally, the worst drought to hit the area in years kicks in, and even the family's blister-raising efforts to haul water by hand from the creek can't save the crops. In addition to working his own land and going to school as often as he can, Rob helps out on a neighbor's farm and in a feed store until neither can afford to pay him any longer. When winter sets in and Rob is reduced to doing odd jobs for food and making a meal out of cracked corn intended for chickens, he remembers that "manhood is doing what has to be done" and sells the farm. In the three plumbing-less rooms above the feed store that the owner offers in exchange for work, Rob and his family are, of course, happy. Rob comes of age again. We haven't waited long enough for this book.
Pub Date: Sept. 2, 1994
ISBN: 0679886966
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
Fans of Cameron’s Huey and Julian stories (More Stories Huey Tells, 1997, etc.) are in for a treat as Gloria, their friend from those tales, gets a book of her own and graciously allows the two brothers to share it . In the first tale, Gloria makes a wonderful card for her mother, but the wind blows it away and it ends up in the cage of a cantankerous parrot. Thanks to Mr. Bates, Huey and Julian’s dad, the day is saved, as is the burgeoning friendship that Gloria and the boys have struck up with new neighbor Latisha in the story, “The Promise.” In another story, Gloria has to deal with a huge problem—fractions—and this time it’s her dad who helps her through it. Mr. Bates proves helpful again when the group trains an “obsessed” puppy, while Gloria’s mother is supportive when Gloria is unintentionally hurt by her three best friends. The stories are warm and funny, as Gloria, a spunky kid who gets into some strange predicaments, finds out that her friends and wise, loving adults are good to have around when trouble beckons. Great fun, with subtly placed, positive messages that never take center stage. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 9, 2000
ISBN: 0-374-32670-3
Page Count: 93
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79899-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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