by Audrey Wood & illustrated by Don Wood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1996
The Woods (The Tickleoctopus, 1994, etc.) are at it again with their zany humor that will tickle some and offend others. ``Although I'm a liar my story is true—There's an end in every beginning. So if you believe a word that I've said, Begin again, please, at the ending.'' The strong rhyming text tells how the protagonist, an adult woman, wakes up to find herself dead, dresses for her funeral, which turns into a wedding with an Idaho potato, which she eats. Then things get really bizarre. The digitally manipulated illustrations are appropriately surrealistic, combining photorealism and cartoons in configurations as startling as the dream they present. The title page says this was ``dreamed by'' Audrey and ``imagined by'' Don. Readers will have to decide for themselves, but as for this review, `` `I didn't do it!' I laughed in remorse. `And I'll never do it again.' '' (Picture book. 6+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-200363-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by Audrey Wood ; illustrated by Don Wood
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by Audrey Wood ; illustrated by Don Wood
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by Audrey Wood & illustrated by Don Wood
by Andrew Clements & illustrated by Brian Selznick ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1996
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating...
Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively.
When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess-like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after.
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80669-8
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1996
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by Andrew Clements & illustrated by Mark Elliott
by Mary Pope Osborne & illustrated by Michael McCurdy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1991
For the 90's, a handsome, well-documented collection of stories about nine uniquely American characters. In her intelligent introduction, Osborne explains their genesis ``from various combinations of historical fact, the storytelling of ordinary people, and the imagination of professional writers'' and notes that changing times put a new light on stories deriding various groups (including women and even animals). Thus her intention is to emphasize ``gargantuan physical courage and absurd humor'' and to ``bring out the vulnerable and compassionate side'' despite the stories' ``ineradicable taint of violence.'' Osborne succeeds pretty well in her intention, piecing together stories that make fine introductions to characters like Mose and Stormalong. Her approach suits Johnny Appleseed and John Henry better than it does Davy Crockett battling a panther, but she does manage to put a new slant on Pecos Bill and his bouncing bride without undermining the story (there's no question of a wife's disobedience here; Sue wants to ride Bill's horse as a test of skill). The telling is more polished than lively—Glen Rounds's irrepressible wit (Ol' Paul, the Mighty Logger, 1949) is more fun, but these versions are perfectly acceptable. McCurdy's vigorous wood engravings, tinted with lucid color, contribute a rugged frontier flavor; lively, though a bit formal in style, they suit the text admirably. Each story is introduced by source notes; a story-by-story bibliography provides a good roundup of this popular genre. (Folklore. 6-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-679-80089-1
Page Count: 116
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1991
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by Mary Pope Osborne ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca
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by Mary Pope Osborne ; adapted by Jenny Laird ; illustrated by Kelly Matthews & Nichole Matthews
BOOK REVIEW
by Mary Pope Osborne ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca
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