Narrating in the voice of their daughter, now seven, the late tennis star's wife portrays the warm relationship between her husband and the little girl. The poignant, primer-simple, present-tense text tells how they read to each other, laugh and sing and pray together; Camera picks up balls when Daddy gives lessons, he washes her hair. When one isn't feeling well, the other helps—``On my bad days, when I'm sick and have to stay in, Daddy takes good care of me''; on Daddy's bad days, Camera hands him his pills and takes his temperature. She also visits him in the hospital, explaining that ``Daddy got AIDS from a blood transfusion during a heart operation.'' The focus here is Ashe's AIDS, from the child's point of view; the author and her husband conceived the book to ``give other parents a way to discuss AIDS with their young children.'' Splendid b&w photos—sometimes several on a spread—make it clear that, for this family, AIDS never hindered a loving relationship or the hugging and kissing that are natural between parent and child. ``For Camera, AIDS was simply an illness—and like any other illness, it was to be treated with compassion and support.'' A touching, and invaluable, legacy. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-679-85096-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1993
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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