Harvey Potter owns a genuine US Government Inspected balloon farm where he grows balloons to order: clowns, animals, monsters for Halloween, and even—when the young narrator who has been delightedly watching the crops gets old enough to strike out on her own—a huge floater to carry her off. What's his secret? Since he farms at night, no one knows. Nolen's writing has an oral lilt to it; Buehner (Adventures of Taxi Dog, etc.) depicts Potter's unique crop in jellybean colors, bobbing atop cornstalks in businesslike rows. A wonderfully appealing premise, skillfully developed. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-688-07887-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1994
Molly and Ben live in the same two family house, wear identical shirts to school, sit together in the lunch room, and, since their birthdays are only five days apart, share a single party every year. It’s a beautiful friendship that hits the rocks when they can’t agree on the kind of tent to buy with their collective savings. After nearly a week of not speaking, they reluctantly agree to have their party “for the sake of the grown-ups,” and discover that they’ve both spent all their money buying each other sleeping bags. Rift mended, they camp out together that night in the yard. In realistic, golden-toned watercolors, Soman artfully captures his young characters (one of whom is African-American) passing through annoyance, anger, regret, and loneliness before moving back to contentment. Conflict resolution is a common theme, but it’s rare and refreshing to see children work out their differences on their own, without adult advice. (Picture book. 6-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8037-1559-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1998
In this entry in the First Choice Chapter Book series, Willie is the reigning knock-knock king. Last year he knew all the best jokes. This year, though, Crow threatens to usurp his title. Willie isn't worried, for he has a secret weapon—a book of knock-knock jokes. But when he opens his backpack, the book is missing. What has Crow done with it? Crow will only talk in jokes, so most of the communication comes in the form of knock- knock variations, including the clues he leaves as to the book's whereabouts. On the last day of camp, Willie and his friend Slug piece together the clues' common thread—the word trunk—and find the book on top of a neatly folded stack of clean clothes in Willie's footlocker. That means Willie hasn't changed clothes all week, so everybody pitches in to get them dirty before his mother arrives. This is a lightweight work from Duffey (Virtual Cody, p. 799, etc.), but it's neatly plotted and cleverly written. The full-color cartoons provide visual clues for readers and help further smooth the path to independent reading. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: July 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-385-32301-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997
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