Tasha Tudor, we learn with some wonder, has managed to live the rustic, old-fashioned life depicted in her books; and the nice thing about daughter Bethany's admiring portrayal of that life is its suggestibility—the satisfactions of molding butter or weaving baskets; the procession of holidays imaginatively observed (with candlelit birthday cakes actuary floating down the river—as in Becky's Birthday—and miniature valentines for the costume dolls); the sense of the least repast as an Occasion. The negative aspect of this storybook world is its unreality. Tasha Tudor's yachtsman father and artist mother were divorced when she was nine; that event, we hear, freed her to live an unconstricted, creative life with a family friend in the country. Tasha's husband, Bethany's father, is referred to as a natural suburbanite who didn't share his wife's passion for farming; and after hardly figuring in the family doings on their restored Vermont farm, he disappears without explanation. And did the four children—two boys and two girls—all share Bethany's pleasure in dressing up and posing in antique clothes? About Tudor's work as a creator of children's books we learn only that she always wanted to be an illustrator, not an artist; that she wrote in order to have something to illustrate; that she had trouble placing her first book, Pumpkin Moonshine. But the book—in an oblong, picture-book format—is packed with family photos and examples of Tudor's handiwork; and children may well take it—not too seriously—as itself a kind of historic restoration.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1980
ISBN: 0399208356
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Collins
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1980
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist.
This follow-up to How To Read a Story (2005) shows a child going through the steps of creating a story, from choosing an idea through sharing with friends.
A young black child lies in a grassy field writing in a journal, working on “Step 1 / Search for an Idea— / a shiny one.” During a walk to the library, various ideas float in colorful thought bubbles, with exclamation points: “playing soccer! / dogs!” Inside the library, less-distinct ideas, expressed as shapes and pictures, with question marks, float about as the writer collects ideas to choose from. The young writer must then choose a setting, a main character, and a problem for that protagonist. Plotting, writing with detail, and revising are described in child-friendly terms and shown visually, in the form of lists and notes on faux pieces of paper. Finally, the writer sits in the same field, in a new season, sharing the story with friends. The illustrations feature the child’s writing and drawing as well as images of imagined events from the book in progress bursting off the page. The child’s main character is an adventurous mermaid who looks just like the child, complete with afro-puff pigtails, representing an affirming message about writing oneself into the world. The child’s family, depicted as black, moves in the background of the setting, which is also populated by a multiracial cast.
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5666-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A festive invitation to creative liberation.
A pleasingly tactile exploration of the possibilities inherent in mistakes.
"A torn piece of paper... / is just the beginning!" Spills, folded paper, drips of paint, smudges and smears—they "all can make magic appear." An increasingly complex series of scenarios celebrates random accidents, encouraging artistic experimentation rather than discouragement. The folded-over paper can be a penguin's head; a torn piece of newsprint can turn into a smiling dog with a little application of paint; a hot-chocolate stain can become a bog for a frog. Thanks to a telescoping pop-up, a hole is filled with nearly limitless possibilities. The interactive elements work beautifully with the photo-collaged "mistakes," never overwhelming the intent with showiness. Saltzberg's trademark cartoon animals provide a sweetly childlike counterpoint to the artful scribbles and smears of gloppy paint.
A festive invitation to creative liberation. (Pop-up. 4-12)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7611-5728-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2010
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