When her Uncle Harry becomes engaged, Brenda reluctantly adjusts to the concept of a new aunt and cousin. Although Aunt Florrie’s niece, Lucy, happens to be the same age as Brenda, the girls are polar opposites. While Brenda dreams of a gold lamé flower-girl dress, Lucy desires nothing more than to be swathed in lavender taffeta. The duo’s arch rivalry is derailed by Harry and Florrie’s surprise elopement, which unites Brenda and Lucy in mutual dismay over missing their big bridal debut. Zalben’s tale, divided into five chapters, conveys the warmth and zaniness that can make families simultaneously maddening and wonderful. Brenda’s unique personality, a beguiling blend of sass and vulnerability, is reflected in Chess’s watercolor illustrations. The distinctive sketches skillfully illuminate Brenda’s spunk and individuality. Brenda’s endeavors to reconcile her hopes with reality tell a tale of acceptance that will help young readers struggling with their own life transitions. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: May 18, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-618-31321-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2009
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads! Isadora once again plies her hand using colorful, textured collages to depict her fourth fairy tale relocated to Africa. The narrative follows the basic story line: Taken by an evil sorceress at birth, Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower; Rapunzel and the prince “get married” in the tower and she gets pregnant. The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and tricks the prince, who throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns. The terse ending states: “The prince led Rapunzel and their twins to his kingdom, where they were received with great joy and lived happily every after.” Facial features, clothing, dreadlocks, vultures and the prince riding a zebra convey a generic African setting, but at times, the mixture of patterns and textures obfuscates the scenes. The textile and grain characteristic of the hewn art lacks the elegant romance of Zelinksy’s Caldecott version. Not a first purchase, but useful in comparing renditions to incorporate a multicultural aspect. (Picture book/fairy tale. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24772-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
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