A Bologna Book Fair prizewinner, this deceptively simple import offers one-line answers of widely varying scope to the implied question, Why am I here on Earth? Erlbruch never waxes portentous: For a bird, it’s, “To sing your song”; to a cross-eyed dog, it’s to bark; for a cat, “to purr”; in a pilot’s view, it’s to “kiss the clouds.” Death, portrayed as a nearly abstract figure in a spotted clown suit, answers, “You are here to love life,” and for a powerful boxer, it’s, “To step into the ring.” But even the soldier (“You are here to obey”) and a corpulent man (“To eat well”) are depicted with a light touch, and a duck responds, “I don’t have the foggiest idea.” Illustrated in crayon-and-paper collage on plain, cream colored backgrounds, this ends on a cozy note from Mommy (“You’re here because I love you”), offers more open-ended answers than the likes of Shel Silverstein’s Giving Tree (1964) and is certain to leave even younger readers in a reflective mood. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 1-933372-03-6
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-23848-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
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