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FOLKS CALL ME APPLESEED JOHN

From Glass (Charles T. McBiddle, 1993, etc.), an amalgam of traditional stories about Johnny ``Appleseed'' Chapman, a charismatic figure with a real way with words. In a first-person narration, Johnny relates howupon the occasion of his half-brother Nathaniel's visithe had to canoe to Fort Pitt for provisions, but accidently floated past his destination and had to make his way back through snowy woods. His adventures with animals and Native Americans are fun enough, but even more entertaining is the way they're told, with a real old-time, storytelling flair, full of ten-dollar words, fancy figures of speech, and philosophical asides, all comically cobbled together. The same style is beautifully carried over into the rough but sturdy oil illustrationsGlass's most mature work yetin which messy marks and sloppy patches of color become well-defined figures by means of rigid outlines. The pictures depict large, sympathetic characters who cotton to clumsy postures; Johnny looks like an overgrown adolescent with bit feet, long fingers, and a face that expresses sheer good will. A detailed biography follows the story. Charming book, charming hero. (Picture book/folklore. 6-10)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1995

ISBN: 0-385-32045-0

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1995

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WILD, WILD WOLVES

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

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RIVER STORY

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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