Like Brendan the Navigator (1979), this sprightly bit of biography is "drawn from an old legend, much of which is certainly true." The Irish monk Columba, goes the story, had such a great love for books, in those sixth-century days when "books were hard to come by," that he secretly copied out a volume from his friend's private collection. The friend, claiming property fights, took him to court; and when the High King ruled against him, Columba called his chieftain father's army to battle. Columba won the battle, but was then so overcome with remorse (three thousand of the king's men lay dead) that he exiled himself to a Northern island, vowing never to set eyes on Ireland again—a vow he kept, for when called back to mediate in another dispute he wore a blindfold for the occasion. This is told with the Fritz ease and some color, but St. Columba's story doesn't yield up A the tales that Brendan's did. An agreeable extra.
Pub Date: Feb. 13, 1981
ISBN: 039961284X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1981
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The greening of Dr. Seuss, in an ecology fable with an obvious message but a savingly silly style. In the desolate land of the Lifted Lorax, an aged creature called the Once-ler tells a young visitor how he arrived long ago in the then glorious country and began manufacturing anomalous objects called Thneeds from "the bright-colored tufts of the Truffula Trees." Despite protests from the Lorax, a native "who speaks for the trees," he continues to chop down Truffulas until he drives away the Brown Bar-ba-loots who had fed on the Tuffula fruit, the Swomee-Swans who can't sing a note for the smogulous smoke, and the Humming-Fish who had hummed in the pond now glumped up with Gluppity-Glupp. As for the Once-let, "1 went right on biggering, selling more Thneeds./ And I biggered my money, which everyone needs" — until the last Truffula falls. But one seed is left, and the Once-let hands it to his listener, with a message from the Lorax: "UNLESS someone like you/ cares a whole awful lot,/ nothing is going to get better./ It's not." The spontaneous madness of the old Dr. Seuss is absent here, but so is the boredom he often induced (in parents, anyway) with one ridiculous invention after another. And if the Once-let doesn't match the Grinch for sheer irresistible cussedness, he is stealing a lot more than Christmas and his story just might induce a generation of six-year-olds to care a whole lot.
Pub Date: Aug. 12, 1971
ISBN: 0394823370
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1971
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
I really don't think this is a juvenile at all. But since it is being sold as such, I suppose it belongs here, for it is at this particular age that telling tall tales becomes a favorite sport. A small boy has promised not to tell lies. And this is the story of a story and how it grew. The underlying humor is quite adult.
Pub Date: Sept. 28, 1937
ISBN: 0394844947
Page Count: -
Publisher: Vanguard
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1937
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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