From a master of the symbolism of darkness as it stands in opposition to light and hope: the opaque story of an unusual boy named Joe and a cast of eccentric and unsavory characters. Joe, who feels “ . . . the lark singing inside him and the tiger prowling inside him,” is a complex, enigmatic character. While he is sensitive and intelligent inside, he is outwardly troubled, awkward, stammering, and dreamily vague. Townsfolk, including his peers, psychiatrists, social workers, teachers, and policemen consistently misunderstand and sometimes victimize him. When a down-at-the-heels circus arrives in town for its last performances before folding, this lonely outsider is drawn to the circus folk and they to him. They are looking for a hero who has the heart of a tiger to carry the skin of the circus’s last tiger into the forest. A blind diviner uses her odd rituals to foretell that Joe will be that hero. So does young Corinna, a circus flyer who speaks in esoterica and believes Joe to be her twin from another life. The two carry the tiger skin into the night forest and succeed in driving away a swaggering thug who specializes in toughening up boys with his own ritual of cruel blood sport. The story ends with a metaphorical reconciliation as Joe’s constant, devoted mother invites the shunned circus folk to a party in her garden, where they delight neighborhood children. The reader senses that Joe’s secret heart may have found a “home.” Beautifully written, this nonetheless is a largely metaphysical tale of stalker versus prey (real and surreal, animal and human), featuring mainly symbolic characters with whom readers may not connect and about whom they may not care. (Fiction. 12-15)
Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2002
ISBN: 0-385-72947-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2002
An outstanding intergenerational tale that captures a slice of life in contemporary China. Mei-Mei and her grandfather get up early, breakfast together, board a bicycle, and travel congested streets to a local park. There they hang the cage of their song bird in a tree, amid dozens of others, so the birds can sing together. They greet their friends, practice tai-chi, have a jar of tea, and then ride home through the market, where they get four crisp pancakes wrapped in a sheet of newspaper. The soft watercolor illustrations capture the loving relationship between grandfather and granddaughter, and provide a glimpse of a busy Chinese town, where ancient terra-cotta roofed buildings are juxtaposed with farm animals on the way to market, and details from the family kitchen are contrasted with streets bustling with cars, trucks, bicycles, and vendors. The book is useful for multicultural studies, but shines as a warm family story. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8075-5039-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
An alphabetic chronicle of all the necessities for a sleepover is the foundation for this energetic tale about a young girl’s visit with her grandfather. In sprightly rhyming verse, the child proudly displays her indispensable treasures, excavated from an overnight bag that is larger than she is. Items such as Apples, stuffed sleeping pals Bunny and Bear, and Chalk to decorate the sidewalk share space with more mundane articles: Slippers, Toothbrush, and Underwear. Paul incorporates the alphabet into the text, with the featured letters highlighted in bold colors, while Smith’s cheerful watercolors capture the child’s boundless enthusiasm; they also adroitly convey the affectionate bond between grandfather and girl. Demonstrating keen understanding of a child’s universe, this rollicking recitation is a delight. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7894-2511-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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