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TWO MOMS, THE ZARK, AND ME

Name: TWO MOMS, THE ZARK, AND ME
Author: Johnny Valentine
ISBN: 1-55583-236-9

by Johnny Valentine & illustrated by Angelo Lopez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1993

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While his moms chat with a friend in the park, the narrator (in spritely verse that emulates Dr. Seuss with somewhat mixed success) wanders into the zoo, where ``...I saw a tame Zark./The Zark is so rare,/They once thought it extinct./But the Zark seemed to like me./She saw me...and winked.'' After a friendly game of catch with the dinosaur-like Zark (the kid is the ball), he realizes he's lost; worse, the McFinks, who volunteer to help him find his parents, are horrified that they are both moms (``It's wrong! It's a Sin! Not at all how I think!/The only true family's a family like ours:/With a mom, and a dad, and two kids, and two cars''). The McFinks are about to force the unwilling boy on new parents when the Zark intervenes; and before he gets back to his own moms, he meets a nice couple who explain that ``real families come/In all forms and all sizes''—with plenty of diverse examples. Lopez debuts here with sunny colors and a dynamic cartoon style that helps propel the story as much as the witty, rhythmic text. An entertaining way to state a message that's more straightforwardly conveyed in photos of actual families in Aylette Jenness's Families: A Celebration of Diversity, Commitment and Love (1990). (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1993

ISBN: 1-55583-236-9

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Alyson

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1993

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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A DOG NAMED SAM

by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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I WISH YOU MORE

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015

Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.

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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)