A heartfelt gesture of gratitude takes a surprising but altogether proper twist in this retold folktale. When young Benny’s beloved Grandpa, a baker renowned for his bagels, suggests that God deserves the main credit for them, Benny mulls it over, then begins leaving a bag of them in the synagogue every week. They disappear, which he takes as a good sign—until one time he sees a poor man come in and take them, with a prayer of thanks. Benny is devastated until Grandpa, who’s seen the whole thing, tells him that he’s made the world a little better—“And what better thanks could God have?” Petricic supplies sketchy watercolor scenes of bagelish color and shape, featuring an engagingly small, jug-eared lad in jacket and shorts wrestling great bags of steaming bagels into the Holy Ark. Davis doesn’t supply a recipe (practically a requirement these days for any story involving food), but he does close with a note on his sources. Even younger readers will have no trouble appreciating either the wisdom that Grandpa offers, or the close relationship between him and his devout grandson. (Picture book/folktale. 6-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-55337-417-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Feel-good phantasmic fun.
Ghost siblings find numerous causes for celebration.
Boredom drives Cleo to invite her brother, Fitz, to play games. But her unbreakable winning streak makes Fitz feel bad—and makes Cleo feel “really, really, really, REALLY bored.” Craving “LOTS of pizzazz,” Cleo invents the “Party Squad.” The club (initially the two ghosts and their cat, Mr. Boo) has one rule and one rule only: “HAVE FUN!” Joy abounds in chapter after chapter as the group comes up with party ideas, inventions like the Wrap-O-Matic 400, and more. No matter the situation, the Party Squad can “PUT A PARTY ON IT!!” and let every and any day be the party it deserves. This third series entry maintains a jovial tone, with simple yet expressive full-color art. As in previous installments, Fox consistently uses black lines to connect speakers with dialogue (with occasional speech bubbles). The plot is primarily dialogue-driven, with short sentences and relatively few descriptive text boxes overall. Though the book has 13 chapters total, most are just a few pages long, which keeps the pace quick and the content accessible to emerging comics readers. As a trio, Fitz, Cleo, and Mr. Boo have an entertaining dynamic that caters to Cleo’s infectiously enthusiastic whims. Scenes showing Mr. Boo’s reactions and kitty shenanigans are comedy gold. Additional paranormal characters briefly appear in a few group party scenes.
Feel-good phantasmic fun. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781250830890
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79899-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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