When Thea’s science teacher assigns her a month-long project that includes research, observation and recording data, Thea decides to plant a purple seed and watch what happens. In just three days, the dirt has turned purple, oozy and bubbly. In nine days, the trunk is ten feet around. Thea keeps readers up-to-date on the plant’s growth through letters she writes to all sorts of specialists (all with alliterative names and all clueless), trying to find out what kind of plant she has. Readers will not be clueless, though, especially after Thea finds a golden egg, gold coins and singing harp beneath her “tree.” Thea’s scientific observations and hypotheses will make a science teacher’s heart sing. Pedersen’s line-and-watercolor illustrations are spot-on, matching the fairy-tale background of the original while bringing out the scientific details to go with the modern retelling. Save a spot on the shelves for this one...or maybe not—it will always be checked out. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-525-47443-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2008
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
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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