by Gayle Eggen Aanensen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 2014
A fresh, openhearted Christmas story about grief and acceptance.
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Aanensen’s (Summer of the Suffragists, 2012, etc.) earnest chapter book tells the story of two Christmases, one ancient, one contemporary.
Oscar isn’t looking forward to his church’s Christmas pageant, especially because everyone has to prepare for it in October. “But it isn’t even Halloween yet,” he says to anyone who will listen. The truth is that Oscar’s father was killed in Iraq in January, and anything Christmas-related reminds Oscar of that giant rift. Oscar’s attitude is changed by a visit from an angel who attempts to remind Oscar of the true holiday spirit by taking him back to the first Christmas: the one in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Oscar gets a glimpse into the life of Omar, a camel boy whose life isn’t so different from his own. Omar recently lost his father, too; now an orphan, he’s sold into slavery to an old astrologer who’s about to set out on a journey following a star to see a prophesied king. The novel jumps back and forth between Oscar’s and Omar’s stories as they creep toward the two Christmases and learn lessons that will change their perspectives. Aanensen writes in clever, energetic prose that keeps readers in tune with her protagonists. She deftly switches between references appropriate for each time period: while Oscar alludes to the 2010 movie Tangled, Omar sees the world in terms of animals and agriculture. A camel trader’s voice can persuade his customers “like the flower pulls in a bee.” Though this is a Christmas story—infant Jesus does indeed make an appearance—there’s little overt religiosity. Though the plot is familiar, the book is much more concerned with the way children deal with emotional turmoil in the world around them and how they can learn to recognize the things they can rely on: family, friendship, and community.
A fresh, openhearted Christmas story about grief and acceptance.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0983690528
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Gayle Eggen Aanensen LLC
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2001
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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