Offbeat but excellent—sure to stay with readers and provoke conversation.
What are the stories we tell children?
Upon visiting a barber, a Parisian child notices the portrait of an unusual man in an unusual coat. The man has an elephant’s nose and tusks, but this is the least strange thing about him, it seems. While cutting the child’s hair, the barber explains that the pictured gent is a tailor named Pierre. Though Pierre was a skilled tailor, he longed to fly, and while a few people at the time had attempted to do so, no one had ever succeeded. Pierre’s plans were different; Pierre would become a bird. To do this, Pierre sewed a coat of wings. Upon completing it, he called all the newspapers and gathered a crowd to watch him fly from the top of the Eiffel Tower. The day came, and Pierre climbed the tower, hugged his barber friend, jumped, and fell to his death. And life went on. This Norwegian import is an odd tale but an atmospheric one. And for that niche group of readers who check out Edward Gorey books for their sense of foreboding and dry-as-the-desert wit, this will be a welcome addition. Part caricature, part Tomi Ungerer, the illustrations are refreshingly different from most picture books today. It’s a strange story, but strange things can be good. Characters have skin the color of the page. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Offbeat but excellent—sure to stay with readers and provoke conversation. (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-59270-366-1
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
Thomas polishes up nine anecdotes and pourquoi tales collected by Hurston, but only recently rediscovered (along with hundreds more) and published in a collection for adults. Originally transcribed in dialect, their regional flavor has been toned down, but not completely erased: when Porpoise outraces the Sun, for instance, God says, “Aw, no, this ain’t gonna do!” and fixes Porpoise’s tail “on crossways.” Sandwiched between not-quite-identical versions of “Why the Buzzard Has No Home,” these short tales of rivalry (“Why the Dog Hates the Cat”), friendship (“Why the Frog Got Eyes and Mole Got Tail”), and troubles explained (“Why Flies Get the First Taste”) will appeal to readers and tellers alike for their simplicity, humor, and action. To all of this, Collier adds an unexpected, but not overdone, layer of visual complexity with painted collages in which easily recognizable animals and background features, abstract forms, and swirls of color coexist. Younger audiences might not know Hurston as a folklorist; here’s help for that, in an inviting mix of tales and familiar ones made fresh. (Folk tales. 7-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-06-000643-9
Page Count: 42
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2004
The title will have limited appeal to general audiences who would be better served by a more inclusive book, but train...
The first steam locomotive on track in the United States now holds a place of honor in a museum.
It was brought from Stourbridge, England, to the U.S. in 1829 to enable the transfer of coal from the mines of northeastern Pennsylvania to the canals of New York. A painting on its front was the inspiration for the nickname. Zimmerman’s breezy narrative traces its first American run, which the locals both ridiculed and feared. He goes on to describe the mechanics of its operation on gravity rail lines and its eventual journey to world’s fairs in Chicago and New York and then to the Smithsonian Institution. (The locomotive actually weighed too much for the tracks and was in use only for a very short period.) It is now on permanent loan to the Wayne County Historical Society in Pennsylvania. Railroad fans will enjoy the detailed descriptions of early locomotion mechanics, rail construction and efforts to save the locomotive. Walker’s full-page oil paintings present a pleasant picture of early-19th-century life and rail operations.
The title will have limited appeal to general audiences who would be better served by a more inclusive book, but train enthusiasts will welcome another entry that fuels their railroading enthusiasm. (additional information, sources) (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-59078-859-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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