Teachers who know it all, mealtimes with Chicken Surprise, recess, ``propper'' English—all are trotted out, spoofed, or pummeled in this worthy anthology. Judith Viorst has a thing or two to say about awards; Russell Hoban is one of three rhyming scribblers to scrutinize homework. Also appearing are Farjeon, Prelutsky, McCord, Aileen Fisher, Colin McNaughton, Gary Soto, and more. X. J. Kennedy, who shares copyright with the selector, ties Myra Cohn Livingston with four pieces each, as subject after subject is treated with comic ferocity. Ebullient b&w drawings of cranky hot-lunch cooks and leaning schoolhouses reflect and celebrate the gleefully rebellious tone. Index. (Poetry. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-316-48893-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
After a huge oil spill in Prince William Sound, Denny finds a slimed baby seal on the beach and takes him to a vet. The seal is cleaned, nursed back to health, and elaborately taught to fend for himself in the wild; meanwhile, Denny witnesses volunteers working to wash beaches, contain the oil slick, and rescue wildlife. This book is completely issue-driven; the writer makes no effort to enliven the bland plot with dramatic tension or details of character. Meanwhile, the big illustrations' yank at the heartstrings seems calculated—after weeks of rehabilitation, the once pathetic seal pup is seen sleeping happily on a pillow, a fuzzy toy seal under his flipper. In an afterword, the author describes children joining the rescue effort after the Alaskan oil spill of '89; those brief paragraphs are a better motivator than the rest of this heavy-handed effort. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-8050-1841-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
Angie Wu's Guatemalan Trouble Dolls are in great demand among her fourth-grade classmates: Marybeth Rosario hopes to win an important soccer game; Matthew Tallerico wants an A on a spelling test without studying for it; Ginger would like contact lenses; and Brooke wants a new job for her dad. When the Trouble Dolls don't make their wishes come true, they all blame Angie—what's worse, they manage to lose or destroy her dolls. Meanwhile, Angie's greatest trouble is that she's forgotten to do the research for her class report. She breaks the curse of the Trouble Dolls by dashing off one without notes—in attempting to find out about the dolls' origins, she's inadvertently learned about Guatemala. Though rather slight, with a silly boy/girl subplot, this does subtly demonstrate the idea that magical thinking is a poor substitute for initiative and self-reliance. Short paragraphs, short chapters, and undemanding vocabulary (except for a few Spanish words) may appeal to less ambitious readers. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-8050-1944-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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