As she did in Window (1991), Baker offers an intriguing wordless observation of how a neighborhood changes over time through the vantage point of a double-paned window frame. She views each scene from the same perspective; personal objects on the sill connote the passage of time as a young girl grows into adulthood, e.g., a teddy bear, a cup with “I am Four,” a pencil case marked “age 8,” a make-up mirror, a university prospectus, and a wedding invitation. The ingenious staging of miniature collage constructions creates a 3-D effect that humanizes the urban changes that transform the community into a place that’s “home.” The author’s note expresses her tenet and belief that “communities are finding ways that their streets can once again become part of people’s sense of home and belonging.” Brilliant in concept and execution, this fascinating enactment conveys the importance of community in a young person’s life. Kids and adults will pore over the tiny details, from building graffiti to people planting gardens and kids walking dogs. It’s like looking through a magical lens of time-release photography. Mesmerizing. (Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-06-623935-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2004
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
Told from the point of view of two warring siblings, this could have been an engaging first chapter book. Unfortunately, the length makes it less likely to appeal to the intended audience. Jessie and Evan are usually good friends as well as sister and brother. But the news that bright Jessie will be skipping a grade to join Evan’s fourth-grade class creates tension. Evan believes himself to be less than clever; Jessie’s emotional maturity doesn’t quite measure up to her intelligence. Rivalry and misunderstandings grow as the two compete to earn the most money in the waning days of summer. The plot rolls along smoothly and readers will be able to both follow the action and feel superior to both main characters as their motivations and misconceptions are clearly displayed. Indeed, a bit more subtlety in characterization might have strengthened the book’s appeal. The final resolution is not entirely believable, but the emphasis on cooperation and understanding is clear. Earnest and potentially successful, but just misses the mark. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: April 23, 2007
ISBN: 0-618-75043-6
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2007
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