Jenkins, a cat, gets along happily on Carey Street once Harry has pointed out to the neighbors who object to Jenkins's wandering from house to house that the cat's life is not so different from Harry's: he splits the week between his divorced parents. But when Jenkins captures a bit of a star (not a whole one, just ``a little-bit-of-Dazzle''), the people are affronted- -Dazzle is too bright, too scary, and certainly unprecedented. Harry's mom sums it up: ``That cat is just like your father. He's after the impossible.'' Outrage soon gives way to media furor and fame, during which everyone forgets to feed the poor cat. But Harry's dad, an artist, understands that Jenkins's magic is real- -he just ``got a bit carried away.'' Together, he and Harry find a unique way to set things right by saving the cat from his extraordinary find, knowing that next time Jenkins will be careful not to jump so high. This satirical fable is told with good humor, in language simple enough for younger children to enjoy aloud or read for themselves; Wickstrom's frequent b&w illustrations nicely reflect the mellow, comical tone. This team's The Rainbow Watchers, published simultaneously in the same format, also considers fitting in and the meaning of art, but the storyline is not as strong. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 16, 1991
ISBN: 0-688-10298-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1991
Keena Ford’s second-grade class is taking a field trip to the United States Capitol. This good-hearted girl works hard to behave, but her impulsive decisions have a way of backfiring, no matter how hard she tries to do the right thing. In this second book in a series, Keena cuts off one of her braids and later causes a congressman to fall down the stairs. The first-person journal format is a stretch—most second graders can barely write, let alone tell every detail of three days of her life. Children will wonder how Keena can cut one of her “two thick braids” all the way off by pretend-snipping in the air. They will be further confused because the cover art clearly shows Keena with a completely different hairdo on the field trip than the one described. Though a strong African-American heroine is most welcome in chapter books and Keena and her family are likable and realistic, this series needs more polish before Keena writes about her next month in school. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: July 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3264-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads! Isadora once again plies her hand using colorful, textured collages to depict her fourth fairy tale relocated to Africa. The narrative follows the basic story line: Taken by an evil sorceress at birth, Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower; Rapunzel and the prince “get married” in the tower and she gets pregnant. The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and tricks the prince, who throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns. The terse ending states: “The prince led Rapunzel and their twins to his kingdom, where they were received with great joy and lived happily every after.” Facial features, clothing, dreadlocks, vultures and the prince riding a zebra convey a generic African setting, but at times, the mixture of patterns and textures obfuscates the scenes. The textile and grain characteristic of the hewn art lacks the elegant romance of Zelinksy’s Caldecott version. Not a first purchase, but useful in comparing renditions to incorporate a multicultural aspect. (Picture book/fairy tale. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24772-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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