A lesson about success delivered with humor and graceful irony.
An adaptation of Böll’s fable about not letting work overtake one’s life.
A visitor to a sleepy harbor town snaps photographs and awakens a fisherman dozing in his boat after landing a small catch earlier that day. The groggy fisherman “in shabby clothes” patiently entertains the tourist’s questions, telling him that he has already done his fishing for the day. The tourist can’t understand why the fisherman is content, and he embarks on a long list of speculations about the wealth and power the fisherman could attain if, instead of napping, he went back out to sea. The comic-book style, reminiscent of that in Hergé’s Tin Tin (which Bravo cites as inspiration in flap copy), uses panels to pace the story and add further humor—the fisherman’s repeated shakes of his head are particularly funny. It takes on a frenetic pace as the tourist imagines the fisherman working hard enough to get additional boats, a smokehouse, a factory, his own restaurant, “And then....” After a dramatic pause, everything comes full circle: “And then… / You could come relax here in the harbor, take a nap in the sunshine, or just enjoy the magnificent view.” This, of course, is just what the wise fisherman was doing before the tourist awakened him. Both men appear white, the former with light skin and hair, the latter with a ruddy complexion and dark hair and a beard.
A lesson about success delivered with humor and graceful irony. (Picture book. 5-10, adult)Pub Date: April 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5503-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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