Two friends decide to build a raft to sail out to where the big fish are. Scavenging for the necessary materials, they find some old railroad ties stuck in the ground and haul the long, heavy load down to the river. It’s there they realize the raft must be buoyant. At dinner, one boy solves the problem through trial and error, arranging fish sticks and doughnuts on his plate. Procuring inner tubes, more railroad ties, rope, hammers, and nails, the boys work very hard on their shared project. When they put the raft in the water and it actually floats, they are elated by their accomplishment and plan their excursion for the next day. That night a huge storm almost destroys everything. The narrator wakes to find his cautious friend already down at the dock struggling to hold onto the raft by the rope, “as if he was hauling in a huge fish,” but the raft is swept away. Morning comes and the boys begin searching for their creation, although Bill is convinced it’s a goner. Downstream they come upon the wreckage and it seems like a lost cause. Bill surprises his friend when he suggests they start building again, and together they fix up the storm-ravaged raft and make it out to sea. London’s story is a wonderful tale about friendship, independence, intelligence, and the satisfaction derived from persevering to overcome obstacles in order to achieve a goal. Gustavson (The Day Eddie Met the Author, see above, etc.) fills two-page spreads with rich paintings that immerse readers into the wet and wild world the two boys experienced one unforgettable summer. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7636-0922-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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