Another wonderfully ebullient tale from Byars about ordinary children whose courage and perseverance lead them into astonishing situations. Byars neatly weaves the threads of four experiences into one lively plot. We first meet little Junior Blossom on the barn roof; he is planning to fly with the aid of wings tied on by his taunting siblings, Veto and Maggie, and a considerable imagination. Junior falls, breaking both legs, and lands in the hospital. Vern and Maggie flee to the woods. Why are the police there? (Grand) Paw has accidentally spilled a truck full of recyclable cans and waved a gun at some boys who heedlessly scattered them further, so he's in jail and the police are trying to check up on the kids left in his care by widowed Mom, who makes them all a meager living tiding in rodeos. Vern and Maggie try to get in touch with Mom and try to, find out what's become of Junior; they make headlines by succeeding in breaking into jail so that Vern can join Paw. Junior breaks out of the hospital with the aid of his roommate, Ralphie, who lacks a leg and is a terror; equipped with a wheelchair, they get to court in time for Paw's trial. Needless to say, all ends happily. Byars is a master of perfectly chosen incident and phrase in a deceptively simple and accessible style. Not just anybody, the Blossoms should be greeted with wholehearted enthusiasm.
Pub Date: April 4, 1986
ISBN: 0823421457
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1986
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p>
Caregiver-child love abounds in this rhyming board book full of animal puns.
One thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of sweet (and groanworthy) sentiments in this book. Rossner writes, “Giving HOGS and kisses / sends me to the moon!” and, “I’m such a lucky DUCK. / You really QUACK me up!” The book progresses entirely in this fashion, with a new animal pair and pun with each page turn. It reads well as a book for a caregiver to share with a lap-sitting child. On that mark, it succeeds in providing plenty of opportunities for giggles and snuggles. That said, at times the meter is forced, making the cadence a bit stilted, and the cuddles/bubbles rhyme is a dubious one. This is an issue for a book that will almost solely be read aloud. Gibson’s illustrations are very charming; the animals and insects with big eyes and expressive faces have high appeal. The warmth of the animals’ embraces and cuddles translates well from the page, inviting the same snuggles from readers. Decorated eggs appear on each page, and the bunny pair from the cover features prominently. Overall, the concept and message of the book are high interest and age-appropriate, but it doesn’t stand out from the very crowded shelf of “I love you, little one!” books similar to it.
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p> (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2343-8
Page Count: 25
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
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