Ill-tempered, big as a bus, and just not a music lover, Ernie the catfish comes down like a hammer on the tune-loving Ohio River town of Pleasant, chomping on Cherry’s ferry, Tom Sawyer’s raft, Doc’s dock, and even the local church. And who’s to stop him? None other than Steamboat Annie (not to be confused with Tugboat Annie, though come to think of it, not all that different), fresh from beating archrival Jefferson Johnson in a mayoral race, the anchor throw, and even arm wrestling. Wright debuts with a high, wide, supremely tall tale, trippingly related and illustrated with Fine’s funniest pictures since Piggie Pie (1995). The opening scene, in which the fine folk of Pleasant, along with their children, livestock, and even the pale Moon in the sky, are all seen bellowing out operatically, is alone worth the price of admission. But the battle between Annie, a barefooted, red-haired Carol Burnett look-alike, and the slimy, whiskered leviathan will bring readers out of their seats. A showstopper. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23331-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
From a velvety moonlit wetland scene in "Big Moon" to the glory of a deciduous forest in the "Moon of Falling Leaves," Locker once again proves himself a gifted landscape artist. In illustrating this Native American lunar calendar, he makes forays beyond the Hudson River valley to the lands of the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne, Cherokee and Huron, Abenaki, Cree, and more, catching the seasons in light, clouds, trees, and wildlife. As in his other books, human and animal figures are rather awkward intrusions, with some exceptions—notably a huge, four-square moose in "Frog Moon." Folklorist Bruchac and poet London work together on brief, dignified retellings of Native American legends for the accompanying text, properly pointing out in an afterword that tribes in different areas see different seasonal patterns and hold different beliefs. (Poetry/Folklore. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 25, 1992
ISBN: 0-399-22141-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1992
Third-grader Chelsea's divorced mother has always told her to stand up for herself, but Chelsea has found it easier to let others take charge; however, now it's time for action. When the fifth-grade boys steal a Barbie doll head and use it for a game of catch, Chelsea demolishes most of one boy's lunch, reforming him on the spot. Screwing up her courage, she asks her father to read to her on their single weekend together. She discovers that her friendship with one girl can survive a few criticisms; she faces down another friend who wants to take advantage of her usual silence. In fact, Chelsea asserts herself at erratic intervals throughout the book, perhaps most stridently in the first chapter's Barbie incident (not constructive problem-solving but effective). As a result, the ending is anticlimactic, if not repetitive. Still, Chelsea is sweetly self-absorbed and imaginative: a genuine character with problems just her size—and solutions all her own. (Fiction. 7-9)*justify no*
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-8075-7552-6
Page Count: 157
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
© 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.
