Another trickster tale from McDermott (Raven, 1993, etc.), focusing on Coyote's foolish pride. It's also his curiosity that gets him into trouble in these cartoon-style events: He sets fire to his fur trying to imitate Woodpecker's red head; Snake catches him in his coils; and the flock of crows who give him feathers when he wants to join them arrange it so that he's off balance when he tries to fly. Finally, tired of his boasting, they take their feathers back in midair — and hapless Coyote plummets at a speed that leaves his tail's tip permanently burnt. Coyote "has a nose for trouble. He always finds it." McDermott depicts his incorrigible antihero as turquoise (a symbolic color assigned him by the people of the Pueblo of Zuni) and sets him against a desert glowing with colors ranging from red rock to flame, entrancing the eye with stylized ripples of fur, the snake's decorative skin, and the crows' rhythmic flight formations. The succinct retelling is amusing but, despite a useful introductory note, not sourced. Still, lively, visually splendid, and sure to appeal. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-15-220724-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1994
What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 2, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-83705-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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