Seven of Yolen's polished bijoux, most of them romantic fabrications about all-ruling love. A charcoal burner steps into the coals to be consumed with his "firemaid"; a plain maiden, rejected by her father, follows a merman into the sea; a young man, bewitched into a fish's form, is restored by a kiss from his true love. In the title story, however, a fowler obeys a conflicting imperative, loyalty to his king, and strangles the dove he knows to be the lady they both love. The romantic mood is broken only by Yolen's version of "Wind Cap," about the fairy gift a farm lad takes to sea, and by "Once a Good Man," a pious parable of heaven and hell. Graceful and undisturbing overall.
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 1977
ISBN: 0460069624
Page Count: 64
Publisher: T.Y. Crowell
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1977
Little children will love this going to sleep book — a really fresh idea by a talented and prolific author, illustrated by Clement Hurd. In a soft sing-song, here is a bunny saying goodnight room, goodnight moon, goodnight to all the familiar objects in the softly lighted room. Then- as the room darkens, in successive pictures, the goodnight ceremony moves forward. The colors range from a bright, crisp red, green, yellow, to an almost black background. Despite the high price, which takes it out of the straight merchandise market, this is a good buy, from quality of text and pictures — and most of all, idea.
Pub Date: Sept. 3, 1947
ISBN: 0060775858
Page Count: 40
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1947
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.
A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.
The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
