In a more successful entry in the America at Work series than Farming (see review, below), Drake and Love show how the demise of an ancient, beloved fir in a boy's backyard is the catalyst for an exploration of the logging industry and reforestation practices. After Cameron's favorite climbing tree dies, Uncle Erik, a forester, cuts it down and takes the boy on a tour of the forestry industry in western Washington state. The discussion is carefully neutral, covering the advantages of clear- cutting in the short term, and the long-term benefits of the more expensive process of selective harvesting. When possible, the authors explain the necessity for alternative and less intrusive methods. Care for the environment is stressed as the primary concern, but Drake and Love address both sides of the issue. The notion of the forest as a living community is supported by Cupples's illustrations, although perhaps the proximity of rabbits and deer to the foresters is more whimsical than real. A thoughtful look at an often-contentious topic. (index) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998
ISBN: 1-55074-462-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1998
Doggerel rhymes and brightly colored acrylic paintings celebrate the birds, insects, and animals that visit Patty’s pumpkin patch from seeding time to harvest, in this story from Sloat (Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round, p. 306, etc.). A large illustration appears with a rhyming couplet, while an alphabet of creatures runs along the bottom margins with an accompanying thumbnail drawings, from A for “ant” to Z for “zebra butterfly.” The book has the look of a picture book from the 1950s, filled with generic animals, flora more decorative than authentic, and Patty in her red Keds and granny glasses. Still, the cycle of the growing season, pumpkins in eye-popping orange, and the abundant wildlife on every page will appeal to children. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23010-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For those who have seen the charming video of the same name, this will be an unhappy example of what happens when one medium is translated into another. Those who come to this without preconceived notions, however, will find glorious full-color photographs that capture pumpkin marvels, from the mountain of golden orange delights with a girl perched on them to the gorgeous close-ups of green sprouts, feathery buds, and full yellow flowers. The singsong text is often clumsy, rhyming “seeds” with “leaves,” “hair” with “appear,” and “vine” with “time.” The fascinating story of the growth of the pumpkin (and the pumpkin patch), from seed to jack-o-lantern, and then back, decaying, into the earth, is more fully conveyed in the pictures. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-58246-004-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tricycle
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
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