In this luxurious, exuberantly over-the-top version of the Grimm Brothers’ “Willow Wren and the Bear,” the animals with wings and those with feet duke it out—and the fliers come out on top, thanks to some covert intelligence gathering. After Bear insults his tiny princelings (“Five puny little birdies in a nasty little nesty with a scrubby, shrubby garden all around”), King Wren gathers his winged troops to force an apology. (“There was twittering and tweeting, chirping and cheeping, and a raucous squawking from some slick, black crows.”) Bear likewise calls on his four-legged allies, but tiny Gnat, hiding in the shadows, hears Fox announce that lowering his tail will be the signal for retreat, and the ensuing battle lasts only long enough for Hornet to reach Fox’s rump. Wallis (Shoes of Satin, Ribbons of Silk, not reviewed) positively pours wildlife, rendered in vivid, Audubon-like detail, into her oversized paintings, posing creatures dramatically to show off the glories of fur and feather while adding deft comic touches. One magnificent painting faces each opposite page of large type that is decorated with snippets of nature that add texture to the telling. The language makes it wonderful for reading aloud; it’s all firmly tongue in cheek; and the magnificent illustrations amply repay close attention. (Picture book/folktale. 6-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-929927-15-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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