Harrison debuts with this rousing tale of a child puppeteer in Nazi-occupied Greece. When the Germans begin rounding up orphans for deportation, Theo, ten, and his older brother, Socrates, flee Athens for a small mountain village. On the way, Socrates attempts an act of sabotage and is shot. Enraged, Theo joins the resistance, working with arms smugglers, distributing forbidden newspapers, taking part in Operation Elijah (a plan to rescue Athens’s Jews), setting explosives, and in a public act of defiance, putting on a shadow puppet show in which humpbacked trickster/hero Karagiozis overcomes bumbling caricatures of Hitler and Mussolini. The author lays a catalog of tragedies and atrocities over a vividly detailed picture of the beliefs, customs, and textures of Greek daily life, portraying an old, stable culture in which “the past was alive in the present,” and in which the Nazis are regarded as only the latest in a long line of troubles. It’s an inspiring story of the apparently powerless battling for freedom in the face of savage reprisals. (glossary) (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: Sept. 20, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-19959-3
Page Count: 166
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
Hopping is not hard, for a frog, but when he asks other animals to join him, he finds that bats flap, lobsters snap, and dust flies when an especially large rhinoceros stomps. None of the creatures can do what the frog does so well, until he meets a rabbit, and it becomes a friendship bound by bounding. Vere’s creatures are reminiscent of Sandra Boynton’s: smiling, bright, and lively, unrestrained by this board book’s small dimensions. A hopping good time. (Board book. 1-4)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-531-30131-1
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
Police Officers ($12.95; Apr.; 32 pp.; 1-55074-502-6): The duties of police officers are outlined in this entry in the In My Neighborhood series. Readers follow friendly officers as they respond to calls, crack open a bicycle theft case, and put the crooks into the system. The booking and legal process is briefly explained, as are other duties (e.g., crowd control), and different types of officers, from undercover cops to FBI agents. The book closes with a smart set of safety tips, making this not just for children interested in police work, but for adults who want to keep children alert and cautious. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-502-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
