King Yonderfel was once revered for his generous spirit; he beckoned all travelers to visit until his castle overflowed with guests. When his landlord, Ogre Guy, takes half of the castle’s mountain, the lopsided residence causes the freeloaders to leave in haste. As a tumultuous storm passes through the village, the king’s newfound hobby—knitting towels—saves his people. Irreverent asides bring forth the conversational voice; outrageous insults convey outlandish humor. Speech bubbles utilize varied fonts to develop further context within the flippant narrative. When the castle crumbles, the ungrateful inhabitants cry, “Woe is us! / This is what comes of / having a cabbage-headed- / addle-brained- / foozle-noodled- / nicombooby for a King!!!” Purposeful page breaks provide natural pauses, advancing the breezy tale. Thin borders contain varied angles on clean backgrounds; swirling lines successfully portray the shifting tone as the imposing storm threatens the town’s residents. Object placement varies on each spread; the brief use of panels highlights each wry moment. The result is a dry twist on a universal truth: Truly, no good deed goes unpunished. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8050-6329-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Keena Ford’s second-grade class is taking a field trip to the United States Capitol. This good-hearted girl works hard to behave, but her impulsive decisions have a way of backfiring, no matter how hard she tries to do the right thing. In this second book in a series, Keena cuts off one of her braids and later causes a congressman to fall down the stairs. The first-person journal format is a stretch—most second graders can barely write, let alone tell every detail of three days of her life. Children will wonder how Keena can cut one of her “two thick braids” all the way off by pretend-snipping in the air. They will be further confused because the cover art clearly shows Keena with a completely different hairdo on the field trip than the one described. Though a strong African-American heroine is most welcome in chapter books and Keena and her family are likable and realistic, this series needs more polish before Keena writes about her next month in school. (Fiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: July 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3264-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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