Bateman reminds readers of the proverbial phrases, "Be careful what you wish for" and "Money can't buy happiness." Tom, a musician, spreads joy throughout the emerald land on his timeworn harp, but longs to become a wealthy minstrel. While in the woods contemplating his fate, he wonders out loud if perhaps his shabby old harp is the source of his problem, and wishes for a new one. Lo and behold, a small man dressed in green appears with a gold harp. Astonished at his good fortune, Tom quickly makes the trade and seals the deal. When his vintage instrument disappears with the mysterious little man, Tom feels a bit of a pull on his heartstrings, but is blinded by the glitter and deaf to the tinny sound of the new one. All the right doors open to the minstrel with the golden harp, but alas, Tom is not as happy as he thought he would be, since people are in awe of the harp instead of the music. Tom's ultimate dream comes true when he moves into the palace to perform exclusively for the king, but he soon realizes that although he lives like a prince, he has lost his freedom and is a palace prisoner. Naturally, all turns out right in the end, with Tom having learned his lesson, thanks to a more benevolent than usual leprechaun. Bateman's (Leprechaun Gold, 1998, etc.) chatty message is made more charming by Weber's (Angel Spreads Her Wings, 1999, etc.) winsome figures and clever details, lots of green, of course, and music-appreciating animals. A welcome addition to the slender group of St. Patrick's Day picture books. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8234-1523-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2001
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
This story covers the few days preceding the much-anticipated Midnight Zombie Walk, when Stink and company will take to the...
An all-zombie-all-the-time zombiefest, featuring a bunch of grade-school kids, including protagonist Stink and his happy comrades.
This story covers the few days preceding the much-anticipated Midnight Zombie Walk, when Stink and company will take to the streets in the time-honored stiff-armed, stiff-legged fashion. McDonald signals her intent on page one: “Stink and Webster were playing Attack of the Knitting Needle Zombies when Fred Zombie’s eye fell off and rolled across the floor.” The farce is as broad as the Atlantic, with enough spookiness just below the surface to provide the all-important shivers. Accompanied by Reynolds’ drawings—dozens of scene-setting gems with good, creepy living dead—McDonald shapes chapters around zombie motifs: making zombie costumes, eating zombie fare at school, reading zombie books each other to reach the one-million-minutes-of-reading challenge. When the zombie walk happens, it delivers solid zombie awfulness. McDonald’s feel-good tone is deeply encouraging for readers to get up and do this for themselves because it looks like so much darned fun, while the sub-message—that reading grows “strong hearts and minds,” as well as teeth and bones—is enough of a vital interest to the story line to be taken at face value.Pub Date: March 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5692-8
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
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