by Jim Copp & illustrated by Lindsay duPont ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2008
The late Copp (deceased in 1999) recorded a series of nine children’s records. The three in this book—and on a CD featuring Copp telling the three stories and songs with musical accompaniment—were originally released in 1958. The stories remain “inspired nonsense” (as the New York Times described them upon their release), bound to provide gales of laughter to listeners. They are meant for listening but duPont’s quirky ink-and-watercolor illustrations, which insinuate themselves into the text with abandon, add several more degrees of giggle and jocosity to the happy mix. The tales themselves—of naughty Kate Higgins, who will not take her pill, fourth-grade teacher Miss Goggins, who will not tolerate anyone singing off-key, and Martha Matilda O’Toole, who forgets just about everything she needs to go to school—have a distinctly antique feel that nevertheless works well in the 21st century. The tender sensibilities of modern adults may be offended by the justice brought to bear on sadistic Miss Goggins, but young readers will relish her “reward.” (Short stories. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-15-206331-3
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2008
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by Meredith Hooper & illustrated by Bee Willey ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2000
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
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by Melissa Thomson and illustrated by Frank Morrison ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2009
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
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