Reduced to penury, the conceited widow of a Chinese official adopts an elegant cat that can catch fish with his tail. The cat's prowess restores Chin Yu Min's prosperity; more important, she comes to value his companionship. After inadvertently giving him to a passing beggar, she humbles herself before every beggar in the marketplace and spends her entire fortune to find him; once they're reunited, she's a changed woman—humble, hospitable, content with the mere presence of her feline friend. The original story by Armstrong (Hugh Can Do, 1992, etc.) resembles a folktale with its message about valuing friends for themselves. GrandPrÇ debuts with illustrations that glow with warmth, grace, and humor; her distinctive style features striking exaggerations of perspective and expression, plus an intense palette centered on red-purple and tawny orange. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-517-58656-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
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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