Bessie is well loved, but can't always find someone to play with; her parents are busy, and little Krishna next door isn't ``allowed out much.'' Still, Bessie has Grandma, who reads aloud, plays games (even hopscotch), and always has ``time for Bessie.'' When Grandma dies, Bessie tries to imagine heaven, where her mother says she is, and wonders if Grandma could have been reborn as an animal, as Krishna suggests; still, Bessie goes on missing her until, years later, Grandma is recalled in a very special way. Bessie's first child not only has Grandma's freckles and ``bendy thumbs''; she behaves like her, in some poignantly subtle ways. The comforting story, with its implied openness to the wisdom of various faiths, makes a different, nicely understated approach to the subject. Mu§oz's expressively cross-hatched drawings and muted watercolors perfectly capture the warmth of the relationships and the touching echo of the beloved old lady in her little great-granddaughter. A simply told story with unusual resonance. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Jan. 3, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-84720-0
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1994
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
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
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