by Michelle Markel & illustrated by Michelle Markel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2000
An alphabet of dolls from many countries and time periods displays each with a handsome full-page photograph accompanied by a brief description. There are dolls made from cornhusks, wood, cloth, wishbones, apples, clay, china, yarn, and even bread. For some, the author tells how the doll got its name. For example, a stiff little china doll from Germany called “frozen Charlotte” was named for a popular story of the 1850s about a vain woman who went for a sleigh ride with her boyfriend and refused to wear a warm cloak, which would cover up her pretty blouse. She froze to death, hence the name. The Nina doll smuggled documents inside her china head through Union lines in the Civil War. Other dolls were named for the designer or manufacturer, like the Lenci doll from Italy. Some dolls described were not playthings, but were used in religious ceremonies. Those include the Kachina dolls of the Hopi Indians, Harvest dolls from Greece, vodou dolls from Haiti, and the Ushabti, small carved dolls buried in ancient Egyptian tombs to serve as servants in the afterlife. Markel includes clay figures used in the Mexican Nativity, which she calls xmas dolls, but is careful to note: “Children are not allowed to play with the Nativity dolls, but may help pose them.” The author includes an afterword on doll-collecting, a map showing the location of all the dolls included, and books for further reading. An attractive title for display or reading, this should have a wide audience. (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-05487-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
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by Craig Robinson & Adam Mansbach ; illustrated by Keith Knight ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2017
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer ; illustrated by Simini Blocker ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2019
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...
The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.
Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-59643-750-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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