Joyce makes a foray into Polar Express territory with this flaky follow-up to Rolie Polie Olie (1999). When the sun blows a bulb, Rolie and little sister Zowie take advantage of the ensuing snowfall to build Mr. Snowie, a carrot-nosed new friend. Thanks to prompt Solar servicing, though, the heat soon comes back, so to keep Mr. Snowie from suffering a meltdown, all rocket off to Chillsville for snowdrop soup, icicle cake, “sky-high snowball pie,” and a “chilly cha-cha” with a chorus line of Mr. Snowie lookalikes. Catching a ride home on Santa’s sleigh, which resembles a retro model Star Wars pod racer, Rolie and Zowie find a snow globe left for them, a memento both of their friend and of a day “happy, sad, and everything in between.” Seemingly constructed from robot parts and gumballs, Olie and buddies pose in scenes that look like set-piece dioramas, all glossy, rounded shapes and sharp shadows. Unlike its predecessor, the text is prose, and less sprightly—but the story line is strong and witty enough to hold its own with the quirky, heavily worked visual concept. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-029285-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2000
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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