Sullivan (Imaginary Animals, 1996, etc.) strips some classics of all their energy, rendering the tellings bloodless and often boring. The pages are filled with familiar and lesser-known characters: Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, Molly Pitcher, and Calamity Jane share the stage with the River God’s Wife, Pirates in Petticoats, Elfrego Baca, and Compair Bouki. Most of these tales are compressed into two pages, so there is no room for any build-up, no sense of rhythm or climax—it’s all flat. The versions are often arbitrary in feel: John Henry’s tale is retold by a grandfather to his first-grade grandson, and loses all the power that Julius Lester instilled in his John Henry (1994), while the protagonist of “Paul Bunyan and His Blue Ox ‘Babe’ “ is Winifred Winslow, who owns a lumber camp (Paul and Babe have walk-on roles). Sullivan does cast a wide net, with American tales from numerous cultures: rural and urban, native, European, and Asian. While children will be able to look up names or tales in Sullivan’s general groupings, such as “Characters Larger than Life” and the sections on outlaws, heroes, colorful characters, and incredible animals, there is no bibliography. Stick with more vibrant collections, such as Neil Philip’s American Fairy Tales (1996), Mary Pope Osborne’s American Tall Tales (1991) or Robert D. San Souci’s Cut from the Same Cloth (1993). (Folklore. 9-12)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8109-0655-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1998
In the ``Environmental Issues'' series, this overview of the science, technology, and politics of hunger suffers from an excess of definitions and from muddy thinking. Spencer defines ``biotechnology,'' for example, as ``Changing plant and animal genetic structure by scientific methods,'' stating that the basic principles have been known for thousands of years: ``Noah used them to make wine from grapes to celebrate the landing of the ark on dry ground.'' How does fermentation alter the genetic structure of grapes? The author indicates that ``governments must either find ways to slow down population growth or to increase the food supply. They cannot do both'' (why not?), but gives little information on either and concludes that ``the U.N., since its membership includes all nations, large and small, rich and poor, can deal on a global basis with global problems.'' He celebrates the 1990 U.N. conference that encouraged people to ``light a candle for the future of children everywhere.'' Candles are no more nourishing than platitudes. Glossary; further reading; organizations for further information; index. Photos not seen. (Nonfiction. 10-12)*justify no*
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-89490-283-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Enslow
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
A glimpse of life in central Mexico is offered through the embroidery of women of the area; their landscapes and portraits of daily life, past and present, are charming. The needlework has a folk-art vibrancy, and evokes an age, not so long ago, when Lake P†tzcuaro was free of pollution and a source for many kinds of fish. It was a comfortable life, little-changed for hundreds of years. Some scenes show celebrations, while others have more humble subjects: women making tamales, a fisherman and his net. Although it's presented in picture-book format, the text is dense and more accessible to older children; it describes the people and their town in detail, and reflects an anger that a way of life has been spoiled. An unusual cultural record. (Picture book/nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8050-3800-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
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