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HAS ANYBODY LOST A GLOVE?

Name: HAS ANYBODY LOST A GLOVE?
Author: G. Francis Johnson
ISBN: 1-59078-041-8

by G. Francis Johnson & illustrated by Dimitrea Tokunbo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2004

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There is nothing as refreshing as the hopefulness of a child. Young Jabari finds an almost new glove on the steps of the subway. He is determined to locate the owner despite his mother’s warning that this will be a difficult task. As Jabari and his mother walk through the inner-city streets, Jabari asks those he encounters. First he approaches a crew of construction workers, but, as they point out, they wear big suede gloves. The fish monger wears rubber gloves and traffic officer wears white ones. All the way home, Jabari learns about different kinds of gloves and their uses. He also sees many interesting urban sights and meets a variety of people. He doesn’t, however, find the owner. Jabari becomes downcast as he nears home, but at the 11th hour, he performs a tiny, modern-day miracle. Lively illustrations alternate between textured details and stunningly realistic faces to simpler, darkly outlined watercolors. This is an involving read that reminds us that it never hurts to try. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2004

ISBN: 1-59078-041-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Boyds Mills

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2004

Categories:

CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

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THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLD COIN

From the Greetings from Somewhere series , Vol. 1

by Harper Paris ; illustrated by Marcos Calo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

Not terribly remarkable, but the series has lots of growing room.

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Second-grade twins prepare to leave the country, but not without first solving a time-sensitive mystery.

Ella and Ethan Briar are devastated by their parents’ announcement that the family is leaving their beloved hometown. Mrs. Briar has accepted a new job as a travel writer, a job that will send the family to new places all over the globe on a weekly basis. In an attempt to soothe the twins’ unhappiness about the move (“What about school? And soccer?” they ask), their grandfather—a retired, globe-trotting archaeologist himself—gives each a special gift for their travels. Mystery-writing Ella gets a journal; Ethan gets a special gold coin. On their last morning in town, Ethan realizes that his gold coin is missing—and they only have a few hours before they have to leave for the airport. While their grandfather does their chores, the twins methodically determine when Ethan last had the coin—the previous day—and make a list of places he visited to retrace his steps. This allows the twins to say goodbye to friendly faces throughout the town. This series-launching installment’s light on mystery, but it’s welcoming and accessible through expressive, frequent illustrations. The Mystery of the Mosaic, publishing simultaneously, takes the kids to Venice for their first overseas adventure.

Not terribly remarkable, but the series has lots of growing room. (Mystery. 5-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4424-9719-1

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

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THE MISSING MITTEN MYSTERY

by Steven Kellogg & illustrated by Steven Kellogg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2000

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Kellogg (Give the Dog a Bone, see above, etc.) remakes his Mystery of the Missing Red Mitten (1974) into a larger, longer, and more colorful ramble through snow-covered landscapes. Suddenly aware that she’s short a mitten after a long day of play, Annie sets off on a frantic hunt. Her panic gives way to joie de vivre, though, as she finds articles of clothing left in the snow by her playmates, builds fantasies about where her mitten might have gotten to, and thinks about planting a mitten tree, so she’ll always have mittens to give away. In the wide-angle illustrations, a low winter sun sheds buttery light over rolling hills, snowdrifts, the wandering child, and her serious-looking dog. Any reader who has ever worried about getting in trouble for losing something will be drawn into Annie’s search—which ends joyfully, after a brief rain shower washes her snowman’s outer layer away to expose the red “heart” within. The plot and pictures have undergone considerable change, but this is still suffused with Kellogg’s characteristic warmth and charm and all the better for being easier to read to a group. (Picture book. 5-7)