George has a powerful word, ``short and sharp and ugly,'' that has always upset everyone who hears it and that has an unprecedented effect on Great-aunt Agatha: it actually turns her into a dragon, who hauls George off to her friend Wordsworth, a wordsmith. Unperturbed, Wordsworth sends the dragon to look for a becoming hat for Agatha, then explains his craft to the startled boy—he coins new words for all sorts of things, ``an enemy, a recipe, a lover's plea, a strain of flu''—and he's willing to trade a unique, made-to-specification word for George's shocker. Intrigued, George outlines his requirements: the word should be prickly but light, ``strong as an elephant,'' and include a ``fuster'' (shhh, thhh, fff, or sss)—a word to keep to himself. With charmingly witty dialogue and wordplay, an approachable format (including plenty of amusing line drawings), and the lure of the never-revealed dragon word, a grand readaloud for readers who will later enjoy The Phantom Tollbooth (1961). (Fiction. 7- 11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-395-55129-3
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1991
Beginning at the grocery, where most urban people today get food, Patent discusses the sources of foods that are made into such products as ``Tater Tots,'' ``V-8,'' and ``Uncle Ben's Converted Rice.'' Brief chapters discuss fruits and vegetables, grains, meats, and dairy products. Color photos contrast the various states: one spread includes shots of an appealing ``beef cow'' in a pasture, fresh cuts of meat, and a selection of processed beef products (e.g., Knox gelatine). Not about nutrition, but a useful awareness-builder. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: June 15, 1991
ISBN: 0-8234-0877-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1991
Krull's second book about her irrepressible heroine takes up the excitement and disappointments of show business. Now happily ensconced with her father in California while her mother works for a year in Japan, Alex is given the chance to audition for a part in rock star Rox Rox's latest video after making a triumphant appearance playing the piano at the fourth- grade Christmas play. In a flash, Alex—who has never previously heard of Rox Rox—goes into overdrive about her coming stardom. When she actually gets the job, her extreme enthusiasm begins to lose her friends and get her in trouble at school for inattention. When she discovers that she has been replaced with Rox's little sister (except for a shot of her hands playing the piano), her disillusionment is total. Alex has much energy, if not common sense, and Krull has a good ear for dialogue—some compensation for routine characters, language, and plot. An acceptable, if undistinguished, addition to young readers' collections. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-316-50479-3
Page Count: 60
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1991
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
