Aaji, Rajiv's grandmother, fondly recalls having a piece of salmon ``for witness'' on Good Friday. Times in Trinidad are harder now, and Aaji has no hope of tasting salmon again. Rajiv sets out to find at least a tin of salmon as a special gift for her, because it is also her birthday. He asks everyone he can think of to allow him to work in exchange for salmon, but no one can help. He finally goes to the home of his teacher and trades an afternoon of weeding for his prize. Rahaman (O Christmas Tree, 1996, etc.) makes central to Rajiv's tale a simplicity of existence, respect for elders, and the notion that hard work has its rewards, in striking contrast to the life most US readers know. Unfortunately, the longwinded narrative is often overwhelmed with detailed descriptions of foods and customs that turn the tale into a social studies lesson, and an uplifting ending can't entirely redeem the rambling plot. The quietly understated pastel illustrations match the tone of the story, employing savory melons, pinks, and golds as warm backgrounds, rather than panoramic scenes of Trinidad. Using a tight focus of faces, the illustrator highlights Rajiv, a compelling character lost within his own story. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-525-67521-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1997
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads! Isadora once again plies her hand using colorful, textured collages to depict her fourth fairy tale relocated to Africa. The narrative follows the basic story line: Taken by an evil sorceress at birth, Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower; Rapunzel and the prince “get married” in the tower and she gets pregnant. The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and tricks the prince, who throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns. The terse ending states: “The prince led Rapunzel and their twins to his kingdom, where they were received with great joy and lived happily every after.” Facial features, clothing, dreadlocks, vultures and the prince riding a zebra convey a generic African setting, but at times, the mixture of patterns and textures obfuscates the scenes. The textile and grain characteristic of the hewn art lacks the elegant romance of Zelinksy’s Caldecott version. Not a first purchase, but useful in comparing renditions to incorporate a multicultural aspect. (Picture book/fairy tale. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24772-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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