Intense, expressionistic illustrations give this spare tale of a Depression-era hobo and his daughter unusual depth of feeling. Riding the rails as late autumn turns to winter, searching for “someplace good,” the two pass through hobo jungles, soup kitchens, and a town jail. At last, a scratched hobo symbol for “kind lady” prompts them to stop at a house with a Christmas tree shining in its window. The lady there is kind indeed: “ ‘This is someplace good for you,’ ” says Poppa to the young narrator, promising to return as soon as he finds work. Christiana’s (The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat, p. 1120, etc.) art is quite astounding here, filling oversized pages with haunting images. Bleak blues and grays in the early spreads give way to warmer browns and reds as the holiday draws near, but the red-haired child remains downcast, surrounded by blocky, mottled backgrounds and insubstantial-looking figures—until the end, that is, when Poppa reappears, gifts in hand, just “before the first Christmas star came out.” A first-class heartwarmer, as poignant and joyful as Eve Bunting’s December (1997) or any of Cynthia Rylant’s holiday stories and made extra special by Christiana’s powerful illustrations. (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-590-98451-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2001
In a snowbound Swiss village, Matti figures it’s a good day to make a gingerbread man. He and his mother mix a batch of gingerbread and tuck it in the oven, but Matti is too impatient to wait ten minutes without peeking. When he opens the door, out pops a gingerbread baby, taunting the familiar refrain, “Catch me if you can.” The brash imp races all over the village, teasing animals and tweaking the noses of the citizenry, until there is a fair crowd on his heels intent on giving him a drubbing. Always he remains just out of reach as he races over the winterscape, beautifully rendered with elegant countryside and architectural details by Brett. All the while, Matti is busy back home, building a gingerbread house to entice the nervy cookie to safe harbor. It works, too, and Matti is able to spirit the gingerbread baby away from the mob. The mischief-maker may be a brat, but the gingerbread cookie is also the agent of good cheer, and Brett allows that spirit to run free on these pages. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23444-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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