This poetically whimsical celebration of the origins of American place-names pulls together a veritable melting pot of cities to attend a party. New York has three friends—Minneapolis, El Paso and Chattanooga—but he wants to broaden his circle of acquaintance. Like all parties, this one picks up nicely after a slow start, Amarillo, Green Bay and Baton Rouge all comparing colors, and Seattle, Washington and Tuscaloosa trading military tales. Each city is represented by a characteristically loosely drawn cartoon with oversize head and totemic hat. New York himself, as an English nobleman, sports a black beauty mark and a little Empire State Building rising out of his powdered wig. Each city is glossed briefly with an allusion to its linguistic origins—“Beulah met Bethesda. They’re both Aramaic!”—which is more thoroughly explained in the annotated “Guest List” that precedes the narrative. The humor with which Raschka invests his cities with personality is entirely winning, as is his awe-inspired theme: “A thousand names, and hundred languages, a million, and a million and a million people name one nation.” This offering stands as a quietly enthusiastic reminder of our collective histories. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-689-84600-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Richard Jackson/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2005
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
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