Good-hearted Frol, the cruel czar's archer, defeats his master with the help of enchanted dove-maiden Frolya. Determined to rid himself of Frol and possess Frolya, the czar sends him on three impossible missions; the last is to bring back I-Know-Not-What from I-Know-Not-Where. In an excellent note, Kimmel cites Charles Downing's Russian Tales and Legends (1956) as his source; he elaborates Downing's tale of abusive power and magical redress into an eight-chapter epic, freely adding themes and symbols from other tales (golden eggs, Water of Life, a trio of giants, a flying ship, an invincible sword) to such intriguing original components as an earlier czar's punishment in the afterworld, a ferocious giant cat, Baba Yaga in a mellow mood, and the invisible servant Nobody. He even quotes Emily Dickinson (``I'm Nobody. Who are you?''). His most significant change is to move his hero into the arena of personal valor: courage alone carries Frol over the slippery bridge above the River of Fire. Kimmel also mitigates the tale's violence, though curiously—unlike Downing's—his czar, unrepentant, is killed in the end. Sauber's eight elegantly detailed and bordered paintings glow with colors ranging from deep and mysterious shades to the brash hues of Russian folk art. A creative and spirited retelling, resulting in a richly satisfying tale of high drama; for a more sophisticated audience than Diane Wolkstein's picture book version (Oom Razoom, 1991). (Folklore. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 15, 1994
ISBN: 0-8234-1020-X
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1994
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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