A colorful episode from the history of Yolen's family—her grandparents and their eight children—marinaded in Old World nostalgia. The oldest son, Lou, is a charming no-goodnik who keeps getting in trouble and finally is sent away to school. Everybody becomes sad—especially Wolf, Lou's younger brother (and Yolen's father), who idolizes him. When they learn that Lou has been dismissed for gambling, everybody seems even sadder. The next time Lou shows up, he is the manager of a troupe of 12 Chinese acrobats whom he met while working in a Moscow circus. When the acrobats leave the shtetl in the spring, Lou's father sends him to America to find a place for the family. Yolen's animated narrative, liberally sprinkled with Yiddish, sticks to Wolf's point of view, and accordingly alternates between acute happiness and sorrow. Gralley's antic b&w pictures are mildly Sendakian; her characters, with pointy ears and round foreheads, are simultaneously good- looking and peculiar in appearance. A book radiating family warmth, in words, art, and remembrance. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: April 19, 1995
ISBN: 0-399-22691-5
Page Count: 54
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1995
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
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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