Need a clever book on sports to entice boys—and one of poetry, at that? These 19 poems, each for a different sport, score a goal. Under the title, a short paragraph establishes a context for the origin of the sport. “RUNNING: They Ran for Their Lives” posits that running began as a form of survival and self-defense; the fine line drawings humorously depict a wooly mammoth chasing cave people across the spread to a finish line. From soccer to surfing, the poems are tightly phrased and put a spin on the historical information of how the sport has evolved. O’Brien’s signature style of dappled watercolors-over-ink comically underscores the theme that sports are fun. “Sing a song of Frisbie, / A pie plate in the sky. / Hungry college students / Purchased a pie. / When the pie was eaten / One hurled the plate away. / Another caught it, wasn’t that / A super game to play?” Informative and entertaining, this is an all-around winner. One nit: The font of the explanatory paragraph is quite small. (author’s note, other anecdotes, timeline) (Poetry/informational picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1905-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hines (Not Without Bear, 1999, etc.) raises the bar considerably for illustrators working in fabric, pairing 20 new or previously published seasonal poems with spectacular quilted and appliqued piecework scenes. Reproduced in roughly actual size, each piece features combinations of printed and patchwork flowers in glorious profusion, sturdy trees with and without leaves, sunbeams, starry skies, falling rain, and stylized but recognizable animals, all demonstrating dazzling mastery of color and pattern. Though it seems almost unfair, the poetry is brilliant too, evoking the “patchwork pattern / making up a year,” from the freshness of early Spring—“Brand new baby yellow green / bright bold biting busy green / until it seems / everywhere one goes / green grows” through a summer lawn “astronomical / with dandelion blooms,” to Autumn’s falling leaves—“some float / lazily / wavily / and taking all / daysily . . .” The quilts each have unique individual characters, but there is a strong overall consistency of style too, and since they were designed as illustrations, the unity of text and picture is (paradoxically) seamless. And they are so exquisitely reproduced that the temptation is to touch the page to feel the fabric. Hines explains in a postscript how the quilts came to be, and provides sources of information for novice quilters—but even readers with no interest in the craft will stop in their tracks to admire this tour de force. (Poetry. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 31, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-16963-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2000
Sensei (“teacher” in Japanese) Hellman introduces what happens in a beginning karate class through the experiences of a boy whose mother takes him to his first class as a surprise. He spends a sleepless night worried by what he fears will be an unpleasant experience. This nameless boy doesn't do well in sports and has difficulty in school with "Killer Miller," the "toughest teacher" in his grade. When he get to karate school, he fears he will be "karate-chopped in half." Much to his delight, the teacher is friendly, the moves are fun, and the uniform is great. The biggest bonus is that after six months he learns to concentrate and his self-esteem has improved so much that he feels he can tackle other sports. Concentration also helps him to be a better student. A short glossary and the order of progression of karate belts complete the text. Recent educational theory suggests that martial arts may be useful to children who have difficulty focusing on academics, and this book seems written to support that view. However, in addition to supporting the theory, Hellman does well in describing a beginner's class for children and adults who are unfamiliar with the sport. His droll tone and humorous illustrations—don't miss the close-up of a mouth in a karate yell—keep the story from being didactic. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-385-32742-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
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