The young protagonist of Bye, Mis’ Lela (1998) returns, faced this time with a scary mission. Her daddy is working in far- off New York City, so Sugar Plum must run through the dark woods for the midwife when her mother goes into labor. Anxious and reluctant, unsure of what is happening to Mama, Sugar Plum nonetheless screws up her courage, then races down a “moon- bright road,” crawls over a rickety bridge, and delivers her message. Illuminated with intense blues and greens, the shadows themselves glow in Stevenson’s vibrant paintings; solid, sturdy human figures move through scenes in which every surface seems to shimmer with color. The next morning, Sugar Plum bounds confidently home and finds herself with a new baby brother. Her mother tells Sugar Plum that she’s old enough to be called from now on by her real name, Wilhe’mina. Although in several respects this is reminiscent of Bill Martin’s The Ghost Eye Tree (1985), Carter’s story features not only a more important errand but more fully developed characters. In a final wordless scene, the father is reunited with his family, contributing further to the satisfying conclusion. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 31, 1999
ISBN: 0-374-33551-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79899-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
One of a four-book series designed to help the very young prepare for new siblings, this title presents a toddler-and-mother pair (the latter heavily pregnant) as they read about new babies, sort hand-me-downs, buy new toys, visit the obstetrician and the sonographer, speculate and wait. Throughout, the child asks questions and makes exclamations with complete enthusiasm: “How big is the baby? What does it eat? I felt it move! Is it a boy or girl?” Fuller’s jolly pictures present a biracial family that thoroughly enjoys every moment together. It’s a bit oversimplified, but no one can complain about the positive message it conveys, appropriately, to its baby and toddler audience. The other titles in the New Baby series are My New Baby (ISBN: 978-1-84643-276-7), Look at Me! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-278-1) and You and Me (ISBN: 978-1-84643-277-4). (Board book. 18 mos.-3)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-84643-275-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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