What happens to Harlan Kooter when Hannibal, an elephant, escapes from a circus and finds shelter in his mother's garage. Fantasy prevails here: Hannibal neither eats nor defecates, and he speaks vernacular English. While hotly pursued by police and the military, he and Harlan move at night—delivering papers, investigating swimming pools, hiding out. Then a hurricane sweeps the town and Hannibal emerges to save the class bully and the class smarty. After a hero's farewell, he seizes the opportunity to take a boat to Africa. Readers unfamiliar with clichÇs like small, red-haired paperboys and funny names will enjoy the broad comedy (e.g., Hannibal throwing everything out of a bakery truck to find cookies) and the fast-paced adventures. More experienced heads will nod. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-395-62523-8
Page Count: 130
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1992
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
When his best friend Kyle moves to ``stupid-Cleveland- stupid-Ohio,'' a disgusted Willie expects the girl who moves in next door to have a closet full of party dresses, a unicorn with a lavender tail, and a bike with hearts and sparkles. Determined to know the worst, he sets out to spy on her, cheered on, long distance, by Kyle—only to have Lily glare back through his periscope and pull down her shade. Meanwhile, mysterious other children are seen next door and there's an outstanding new player on the opposing Little League team. To Willie's surprise (though not, probably, the reader's), these all turn out to be Lily, whose possessions—including a costume box—would be appropriate for any boy, and who enjoys sleuthing as much as Willie does. Joosse catches the kids' concerns with engaging humor; her realistic dialogue and approachable, staccato style—plus Truesdell's wonderfully lively and comical b&w illustrations—are sure to appeal. (Fiction/Young reader. 7-10)
Pub Date: April 20, 1993
ISBN: 0-395-64338-4
Page Count: 66
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1993
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