A collection of self-conscious, verbal humor that will leave most children only impatient for the end. (Picture book. 9-15)
An uneven collection of short stories, each between two and six pages, that puns and parodies its way through the annals of children’s literature.
Intended to spark the imagination of children who do not have the patience to read full books, much of the humor presented in The Impatient Imagination will likely only be understood by adults with relatively sophisticated literary backgrounds. Full of wordplay, bad jokes and retellings of many of the Jack tales beloved by children, this twee collection annoys more than delights. The author appears to have adapted some of the conventions of Lemony Snicket, and imbues the text with a touch of Dr. Seuss as well. Fisher’s version of the “House that Jack Built” poem will likely be more irritating for kids than amusing, as he formats it like an annotated poem with distinctly unfunny, punny footers. There are several poems that are quite lovely, mostly because the author dispenses with the otherwise unending stream of witticisms, backward spelling and phonetic games. And some tales do involve logical thinking and offer genuine challenges to the reader. Yet some tales might lead the reader to question whether being generous or kind holds any reward. The retelling of O. Henry’s famous “Gift of the Magi,” found here in the form of the poem “Braids,” is a simplistic synopsis that neither enlightens nor enchants. Six pages of games, riddles and puzzles related to each of the stories form an addendum at the end; many of the questions are didactic but others may spark imaginative answers. As a picture book, it is sparse on illustrations; those that do appear, including the lackluster cover image, seem culled from outdated clip art and home photographs.
A collection of self-conscious, verbal humor that will leave most children only impatient for the end. (Picture book. 9-15)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4257-8449-2
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes...
In a riveting novel from Myers (At Her Majesty’s Request, 1999, etc.), a teenager who dreams of being a filmmaker writes the story of his trial for felony murder in the form of a movie script, with journal entries after each day’s action.
Steve is accused of being an accomplice in the robbery and murder of a drug store owner. As he goes through his trial, returning each night to a prison where most nights he can hear other inmates being beaten and raped, he reviews the events leading to this point in his life. Although Steve is eventually acquitted, Myers leaves it up to readers to decide for themselves on his protagonist’s guilt or innocence.
The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue alternate with thoughtful, introspective journal entries that offer a sense of Steve’s terror and confusion, and that deftly demonstrate Myers’s point: the road from innocence to trouble is comprised of small, almost invisible steps, each involving an experience in which a “positive moral decision” was not made. (Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: May 31, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-028077-8
Page Count: 280
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999
PERSPECTIVES
Paulsen recalls personal experiences that he incorporated into Hatchet (1987) and its three sequels, from savage attacks by moose and mosquitoes to watching helplessly as a heart-attack victim dies. As usual, his real adventures are every bit as vivid and hair-raising as those in his fiction, and he relates them with relish—discoursing on “The Fine Art of Wilderness Nutrition,” for instance: “Something that you would never consider eating, something completely repulsive and ugly and disgusting, something so gross it would make you vomit just looking at it, becomes absolutely delicious if you’re starving.” Specific examples follow, to prove that he knows whereof he writes. The author adds incidents from his Iditarod races, describes how he made, then learned to hunt with, bow and arrow, then closes with methods of cooking outdoors sans pots or pans. It’s a patchwork, but an entertaining one, and as likely to win him new fans as to answer questions from his old ones. (Autobiography. 10-13)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-385-32650-5
Page Count: 150
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2000
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