A girl discovers the piano and starts composing in this entry from Cowan (My Life With the Wave), a very loose adaptation of a story by An°bal Menterio Machado. Although the piano and the girl are clearly soul mates, what is music to the girl’s ears is poison to her mother’s: “That is not playing. It’s noise.” The mother orders lessons, but both girl and piano balk at the routine and the stifling of their creativity. The practice sessions are flat or sharp or atonal, never fun or successful. When it looks as if a grandmother is going to come to live with them, the mother puts the piano up for sale, but it misbehaves for prospective buyers. Indeed, the piano, as a piano, can’t be given away; the woman who claims it plans to turn it into stripped and painted storage. The piano literally bristles at this outrage; Hawkes has ably and elegantly shaped the artwork for this book, in perfect concord with Cowan’s words. In the process of delivering the piano—the girl and her father are rolling it to its fate—the instrument, with the girl on top, makes its escape into the wide blue sea (she jumps off at the last minute). The piano serenades the girl with symphonies carried to the shore on breezes from distant climes while she composes “for pots and pans,” a musical undertaking that serves those wretched parents right. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-688-13239-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Boelts’ quiet tale celebrates the perseverance of a young girl as she attempts to achieve her goals
Soccer is a bittersweet mix of sorrow and joy for Sierra.
Sierra struggles with conflicting emotions about her new soccer team. Traveling out of the city, Sierra now plays on soccer fields unlike the one near the apartment where she lives with her aunt, which is exciting. However, being on this new team has some drawbacks. With most games on Saturdays—which is her aunt’s busiest day at the restaurant—Sierra is sad to be the only player without family members to cheer for her during games. Yet, with a little ingenuity, Sierra discovers a solution to her dilemma. Boelts focuses on the relationship between Sierra and her aunt, deftly portraying Sierra’s maturity and fortitude as she attempts to resolve the situation. Sierra, while dedicated to her sport, recognizes the importance and inspiring effect of her aunt’s support and encouragement. Castillo’s watercolor-and-ink illustrations of the city’s landscapes feature towering buildings in an austere setting. In contrast, drawings of Sierra’s home and her aunt’s workplace depict warm, cozy scenes. Scenes with the dark-skinned, crinkly-haired auntie and niece emphasize the close, nurturing relationship. Action-filled paintings of the soccer games capture the fast-paced excitement of the game.
Boelts’ quiet tale celebrates the perseverance of a young girl as she attempts to achieve her goals . (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4616-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2012
Alex has his iguana (I Wanna Iguana, 2004), but now, thanks to Baby Annie, he has to share his room with his little brother Ethan. That’s just not going to work out, so he begins a new letter-writing campaign. Mom’s reply: Talk to your father. Alex’s straightforward request nets this response: “…Mom says girls need privacy to do girl stuff.” Alex can’t think what girl stuff a baby would need to do, so he switches tactics, complaining that Ethan bothers his stuff. The heart-to-heart talk Dad suggests ends up with Alex cordoning off HIS part of the room (which unfortunately includes the door). Alex begs for an addition to the house, but Dad has a better idea. The two build Alex his own tree house…but it’s boring in the tree house alone! Orloff’s second epistolary tale is just as inventive and enjoyable as the first. Catrow’s distinctive pencil-and-watercolor illustrations elevate the (mostly) realistic exchange in the letters to deliriously preposterous heights. The nearly wordless conclusion is as satisfying as it is unexpected. A sneaky lesson wrapped up in a flaky bundle of fun. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25405-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010
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