The Cinderella of fir trees meets her fairy godmother in this Christmas tale. In the forest, the big fir trees are all excited about Christmas, planning what each of them will wear to the big party. One will wear a dress of thousands of twinkling stars, while another will fashion one from a rainbow. In the shadows, the littlest fir tree listens intently and dreams about her own dress, but the others are too busy with their plans to even talk to her. As Christmas gets closer, a noisy truck arrives and the little fir is left standing alone, with no way to get to the party. But there is one other tree that got left behind, a scraggly one, bare but very kind. The old tree is a willing listener for the little one, and asks her about her dream—to wear a long dress of pure white like the moon. On Christmas morning, Mother Nature clothes her youngest tree in newly fallen snow and her older tree in the bright colors of the forest birds. Finally dressed for the party, the two share their own special celebration. Ichikawa’s (The First Bear in Africa, p. 498, etc.) trees’ dresses are awash in light, glowing with the gold of the sunset and illuminated by the stars of the night. The country-red borders framing the soft greens and blues of the watercolor illustrations will remind readers that this is a Christmas story, even as the author emphasizes the beauty found in nature and within each living thing. Unfortunately, while the reader will appreciate the work of Mother Nature, the stronger message seems to be that it is a tree’s dream to be cut down and decorated for Christmas. Better pair this one with Eve Bunting’s Night Tree (1991). (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23746-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2001
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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