HOW TO GET FAMOUS IN BROOKLYN

by Amy Hest ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1995

A veteran author (The Private Notebook of Katie Roberts, Age 11, p. 710, etc.) and new artist form an uneasy alliance for this idealized tour of a Brooklyn neighborhood. Armed with notebooks and colored markers, Janie does ""spy work,"" recording conversations in Margie's Hair Palace, describing her own likes and dislikes, and observing every small detail on her street. In bright, folksy drawings, Sawaya portrays an idyllic world of small shops on neat, litter-free streets. A scattering of visual clues--melons sold off a horse-drawn cart, a barbershop sign reading ""Haircuts 15›""--reveals that the setting might not be present-day, even though the clothing, bikes, and cars are contemporary, and miniskirts as well as blow-dryers appear in the beauty salon scene. Much of the narrative appears on a ruled background meant to be the pages of a notebook, but the typeface looks nothing like hand-lettering; these spiral-bound pages magically become loose leaf at the end, when the wind blows them into the hands of passersby--""And that, for your information, is how to get famous in Brooklyn."" Janie is an engaging character, but the flaws throughout mar this light tale.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1995

Categories: CHILDREN'S