Saltzberg (The Flying Garbanzos, not reviewed, etc.) gives parent cheerleaders a boost with this droll tale of a young soccer player and his excitable mom. Starting his first season with the Atomic Pickles, Ruben is horribly embarrassed to see his mother on the sidelines, dressed in a pickle costume and screaming wildly. Oblivious to the positive reception she's getting from his teammates and the other parents, he persuades her at last to lay off—only to hear complaints from every side, and to see the parents, in pickle costumes of their own, float down in a green blimp. Ruben’s mom shows not a trace of self-consciousness in the simply drawn cartoon illustrations; the silly outfits will have viewers in stitches. And in a hilarious final twist, it all turns out to be a story told by grownup Ruben to prepare his daughter, looking forward to her first game with a team called the Galactic Grapes, to welcome a suitably attired cheering section of her own. Parents and children both will benefit from this ribtickler. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-517-80063-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
An additional choice for young readers interested in animal traits.
When King Lion holds a race to honor the fastest animal, Cheetah easily wins the title.
Cheetah runs 75 miles per hour in the 100-yard dash, but all the other animals clamor to show their own great speeds in different kinds of contests. Large and small, land and sea animals, birds and beasts, reptiles and insects: They tell their king the facts about their abilities. Husky says: “I am the fastest over long distances.” Ostrich wants all participants to “run on two legs to be fair to everyone.” A sea turtle thinks that the race should be held in the water, an idea heartily endorsed by a black marlin. A majestic peregrine falcon insists on the sky because these birds fly at 240 miles per hour, but a small free-tailed bat pipes up and says that the race “should be at night!” What’s a wise ruler to do? The king creates “an Olympics” with multiple events. Realistic illustrations in a somewhat dull palette of browns, blues, and greens bring animals together (not always to scale) in a dusty savanna landscape. The folkloric telling contrasts with the factual speeds of the animals included in the text. Educational activities in the backmatter, some beyond the ability of the intended readers of the main text, focus on mathematical and scientific comparisons. A Spanish-language edition publishes simultaneously in paperback only.
An additional choice for young readers interested in animal traits. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-60718-739-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A shiny but veneer-thin profile.
A hagiographical account of the great animator’s early years and later triumphs.
Next to the rest of the inspirational and aspirational entries in the Big Words series (Martin’s Big Words, 2001, etc.) this carries a muddled message. Rappaport gives the nod to many of Disney’s creative innovations, but, particularly toward the abrupt end, Disney comes off as more control freak than genius. Efforts to sanitize his classic rags-to-riches career include a weaselly claim that he “felt betrayed” when his animators went on strike for proper pay and film credit (the accompanying picture shows him sulking in a chair as picketers march outside). Even in her afterword she neglects to mention some of his less-stellar achievements, such as his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee (and, for that matter, Song of the South). Several of the large-type taglines interspersed throughout are likewise bland (“Music has always had a prominent part in all our products”), and a closing reference to Disney’s legacy in the modern theme parks’ “many rides and many stores” sheds a rather commercial light on Walt’s characterization of Disneyland as an organic tribute to all imagination. In the illustrations, Pomeroy, a Disney Studios veteran, supplies big, vivacious views of his subject at various ages, often surrounded by versions or sketches of Mickey and other cartoon creations as well as a largely white workforce.
A shiny but veneer-thin profile. (timeline, illustrator’s note, bibliography, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 6-8)Pub Date: July 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4231-8470-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
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