A heartfelt but lukewarm attempt at re-creating a slice of island life.
An inquisitive and adventurous young girl named Flossie spends a day with the beloved Bonefish Joe to see why so many people travel to Harbour Island from all over just to go fishing with him.
Harbour Island is a small settlement in the Bahamas known for bonefishing: a catch-and-release sport with the silvery bonefish as its object. Screwing up her courage, Flossie approaches Bonefish Joe to ask him to take her fishing. Laughing, he tells Flossie that she needs her mother’s permission. Though she’s initially told no, Flossie is happily surprised when her mother later changes her mind in a contrived and inexplicable turnabout. Flossie eagerly goes on this adventure and finally understands why an outing with Bonefish Joe is such a sought-after experience: “Bonefish Joe took you by the hand and brought you to a peaceful and quiet place.” Although the author’s affection for Bonefish Joe, a real Bahamian fisherman, and for Harbour Island is clear, the story never gets under Flossie’s skin. Her ignorance of the economic realities of fishing tourism and of Bonefish Joe’s particular expertise make her feel like an outsider in her own community, an unsettling feeling that perhaps contributes to the narrative’s feeling of disconnectedness. Though filled with light, the illustrations do but a lackluster job of capturing the sparkling sights described by the text and life on Harbour Island in general.
A heartfelt but lukewarm attempt at re-creating a slice of island life. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-56792-534-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Godine
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
Have the contact info for the local dojo handy—readers will want to try out these martial-arts styles for themselves.
"Dedication and practice pay off," is the message these three pigs painlessly deliver.
“Once upon a dangerous time,” a wolf plagued a town with his huffing and puffing, so three pigs—two hogs and a sow—attend Ninja School to learn how to face him. Each studies a different martial art, but the two brothers quickly lose interest; the third pig alone earns all her belts. So when the wolf comes calling, it’s no surprise when the brothers’ skills are not equal to the task. “The chase carried on to their sister’s. / Pig Three was outside in her gi. / ‘I’m a certified weapon, / so watch where you’re steppin’. / You don’t want to start up with me!’ ” A demonstration of her prowess is enough to send the wolf packing and the brothers back to their training. Schwartz’s sophomore outing is a standout among fractured fairy tales, masterfully combining rollicking limerick verse with a solid story, neither a slave to the other. The one quibble is the “Ninja” of the title—these pigs study the martial arts of aikido, jujitsu and karate. Santat’s illustrations are done with Sumi brush on rice paper and finished in Photoshop. The colors, patterns and themes nicely incorporate those of Japanese art, and the setting, with its background mountains, cherry blossoms and traditional rooftops, is firmly Japanese.
Have the contact info for the local dojo handy—readers will want to try out these martial-arts styles for themselves. (glossary) (Fractured fairy tale. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-25514-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
A holiday outing that doesn’t quite satisfy.
In this follow-up to singer Parton and co-author Perl’s Billy the Kid Makes It Big (2023), literal and figurative bumps in the road imperil the touring canine country star’s promise to be home for Christmas.
Inspired by one of Parton’s holiday songs, the tale sees Billy, a small brown French bulldog, and bandmates Bo, Buster, and Binky boarding a tour bus for “pawsome” glimpses of natural wonders along with meetings with fans and “puparazzi.” Then, although Billy has sent many letters home promising to be there for the holiday, an invitation to play Barkafeller Center on Christmas Day instantly changes his tune. “Billy was happy. Though he still felt a little…he wasn’t sure what.” Readers may be excused for having mixed feelings about his mixed feelings, not to mention his tersely unapologetic note to the folks. But when, thanks to a bus-busting rock in the road on Christmas Eve, it looks like the band will have to contrive their own celebration (“Silent night, howly night”), Billy remembers that he started making music in the first place for his loved ones. He has no problem bagging the big concert (Fans? What fans? Contract? What contract?) when Dolly herself rolls up in her own bus to offer a ride back to his “Tennessee mountain home” in time for a small show for “the most important audience in the world.” While Billy cuts an endearing figure in Haley’s cartoonish illustrations, his willingness to disappoint first family, then fans may have readers feeling less than cheery.
A holiday outing that doesn’t quite satisfy. (lyrics to Parton’s “Comin’ Home for Christmas”) (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9780593755006
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
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