Thirteen poems and songs gathered from as many traditions, mostly about—despite the subtitle "Native American Poems of the Land"—stars, spirits, and the sky. Many of the selections contain references to the Sky Bear, a constellation also known as the Big Dipper that, Bruchac (The Story of the Milky Way, p. 1185, etc.) claims, has been seen as a bear by cultures on three continents. Locker's awesome landscape technique has seldom worked to better effect: Skies flame at dawn or sunset over dramatic vistas that seem more real than the indistinct, turned-away human figures, while shadows and rich blends of blue and purple give the evening scenes an air of mystery. An engrossing companion to Thirteen Moons On Turtle's Back (1992). (Picture book/folklore. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 17, 1995
ISBN: 0-399-22713-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1995
PLB 0-06-027918-4 In a tongue-tangling word-romp, London (Hip Cat, 1993, etc.) invites children to “jump right in, to swirl and spin” with the animal-attendees of his sock hop. This swinging party features cool cats, whirling rabbits, frolicking dogs, cavorting mice, and springing frogs, all grooving in half-tugged socks. London combines the deeply satisfying sounds of drums and keyboards with the upbeat be-bop of the sax to create a book that, when read out loud (at story hours or anytime), rivals the cadence of rhythm and blues. Working in confident, vivid colors, Cole sets out a playful visual introduction to musical instruments; the scenes are fairly bursting with joyful dancers who are so engaging that joining the hip-hop hoppin’ may be the only way to go. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Feb. 29, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-027917-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Wee folk star in a book of prankish poetry that celebrates the mischief and mere presence of inch-high magical and supernatural creatures. An illustrated table of contents introduces 17 poems and defines the fairy folk featured within. A leshy can be small as a blade of grass, a pixie wears green and changes size, a hobgoblin is fond of practical jokes, a spriggan is something of a bodyguard for fairies. Familiar and unknown poems are collected here, from classics such as Rachel Field’s “The Pointed People,” to contemporary entries by Kristine O’Connell George and Evans herself. The tone of the whole varies from page to page, as the more flowery, rhyming verse coexists with catchier entries such as “A Gnome Poem,” containing images of a gnome snuggled under a New Jersey map and on a mousepad or a stowaway troll in “Backpack Trouble.” Green, leafy artwork surrounds these magical folk in airy and woodsy settings, casting them as playful, curious, and cuddly. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-689-82352-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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