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MAD SUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Name: MAD SUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Author: Ruth Brown
ISBN: 0-525-46010-1

by Ruth Brown & illustrated by Ruth Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1999

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Brown (Toad, 1997, etc.) delves into a visual and verbal world of M.C. Escher proportions. In rhyming verse a young girl recounts her peculiar experiences occurring “one midsummer night in winter,” weaving a tale of singing flowers, blooming birds, and a feline spat ineptly arbitrated by the classic trio of see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil monkeys. Brown’s verse, overflowing with oxymorons, challenges readers to be especially attentive to the text in order to catch the puns in the lines: “Quite clearly in the distance,/but almost out of sight,/two fat cats were yowling,/preparing for the fight.” Her elaborate, full-page illustrations also demand in-depth perusal. Fantastical landscapes with unusual creatures fill the pages; there are plenty of minute details to delight observant readers. With the extravagant improbabilities of the rhymes to entertain the younger set and intricate word games to engage older readers, Brown’s homage to the absurd has wide appeal. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: May 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-525-46010-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
BLACK BEAUTY
by Anna Sewell ; adapted by Ruth Brown ; illustrated by Ruth Brown

- BOOK REVIEW
THE QUAYSIDE CAT
by Toby Forward ; illustrated by Ruth Brown

- BOOK REVIEW
MONKEY'S FRIENDS
by Ruth Brown & illustrated by Ruth Brown

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QUACK AND COUNT

by Keith Baker & illustrated by Keith Baker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1999

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Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-15-292858-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
LMNO PEA-QUEL
by Keith Baker ; illustrated by Keith Baker

- BOOK REVIEW
HAP-PEA ALL YEAR
by Keith Baker ; illustrated by Keith Baker

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE GREEN PEAS
by Keith Baker ; illustrated by Keith Baker

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BIG BROWN BEAR

by David McPhail & illustrated by David McPhail ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999

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Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)