by Janice Shefelman & illustrated by Tom Shefelman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2008
Children are at least as likely to pore over the pictures as absorb the narrative in this first-person account of Vivaldi’s youth and prime. The few known facts about the composer’s life are smoothly incorporated. For instance, so weak was his breathing at birth that his mother promised him to the clergy if he survived—a vow that became a major source of domestic tension later on as he displayed early brilliance on the violin and little interest in anything else. He did become a priest, but after shirking his duties, ended up being put in charge of an orchestra of orphaned girls that earned international renown. Giving even Canaletto a run for his money, the illustrator sets expressive, natural-looking figures against golden-toned backdrops of 17th-century Venice’s rich interiors, splendid vistas, opulent churches and serene canals. A citation for a favored recording of “The Four Seasons” and a few printed bars of “Spring” close this fetching introduction to one of the great masters of the Baroque era. (historical note, glossary) (Picture book/biography. 8-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5328-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2007
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by Janice Shefelman and illustrated by Robert Papp
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by Megan McDonald & illustrated by Peter Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2002
McDonald’s irrepressible third-grader (Judy Moody Gets Famous, 2001, etc.) takes a few false steps before hitting full stride. This time, not only has her genius little brother Stink submitted a competing entry in the Crazy Strips Band-Aid design contest, but in the wake of her science teacher’s heads-up about rainforest destruction and endangered animals, she sees every member of her family using rainforest products. It’s all more than enough to put her in a Mood, which gets her in trouble at home for letting Stink’s pet toad, Toady, go free, and at school for surreptitiously collecting all the pencils (made from rainforest cedar) in class. And to top it off, Stink’s Crazy Strips entry wins a prize, while she gets . . . a certificate. Chronicled amusingly in Reynolds’s frequent ink-and-tea drawings, Judy goes from pillar to post—but she justifies the pencil caper convincingly enough to spark a bottle drive that nets her and her classmates not only a hundred seedling trees for Costa Rica, but the coveted school Giraffe Award (given to those who stick their necks out), along with T-shirts and ice cream coupons. Judy’s growing corps of fans will crow “Rare!” right along with her. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-7636-1446-7
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2002
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by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Scott Nash
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by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
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by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
by Vicki Cobb & illustrated by Barbara Lavallee ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 5, 1991
Nearly a third of this addition to the ``Imagine Living Here'' series describes life in the Australian outback, where ``a mid-sized station with eight thousand sheep is two hundred square miles.'' Cobb states that ``If you lived on the outback of Australia, the only people you would see every day would be your own family''; indeed, the illustration shows a man shearing by hand with just his wife and two children assisting. Is it possible for two adults to shear 8000 sheep without assistance? Balance is a problem throughout; e.g., only one page discusses aboriginal people, while Captain Cook rates three. And, though decorative, the landscapes are so stylized as to be useless for identification, while not only sheep but the platypus, emu, and spiny anteater are all sky blue. Visually striking, but this adds little to the understanding of flora, fauna, or people. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: June 5, 1991
ISBN: 0-8027-6959-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1991
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by Vicki Cobb & illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
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by Vicki Cobb & illustrated by Julia Gorton
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