A boy discovers that he has telekinetic powers. Young Daniel is anxious to help his Dad and older brother Michael on their fishing boat, the Toni Marie, but they think he’s too young; they even call him Mouse. Sulking in the kitchen, Daniel stares so intensely at a cracker that it begins to rise off the table. Excited, Daniel begins secretly to practice, with a toy boat in the bathtub, a beach rock, a paper airplane. His big chance to prove himself comes when a whale is washed ashore. A half dozen men, including Dad and Michael, try unsuccessfully to budge it. Daniel looks deep into the whale’s eye, closes his own eyes to concentrate and, after several seconds, the whale slowly rises, swishes his tail and swims away. Everybody cheers; do they notice what Daniel has done? Dad tells Daniel he better get to bed early, because the Toni Marie leaves at dawn. LaMarche’s lovely warm illustrations, in acrylic washes and colored pencil, match his gentle fantasy. (Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-8118-4445-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2006
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
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