Mayhew’s Katie continues her exploration of the world of painting when she and her grandmother visit the art gallery on a hot Sunday afternoon. Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières looks so inviting that she climbs into the picture, as is her wont. Splashing about with the boy in the red hat, however, tilts the frame so that the river begins pouring into the gallery. Katie can’t resist inviting a little girl in white from Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (“no one is allowed to swim in this painting,” she sighs) to join her and the boy in the gallery, and soon all the ladies and gentlemen of Grand Jatte are hitching up their skirts and trousers to wade, too. When a gallery guard threatens to appear, other paintings provide boats and drying clothes to get everyone back where they should be. Mayhew as always transmutes his light and fresh style to what Katie is looking at—Pointillism in this case. No single museum owns all these paintings, of course, but in an afterword, Mayhew tells youngsters where they are and how to see them as well as a little bit about the artists. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-439-60678-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2005
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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
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