The story of Balaam's ass is a comic item found in the Old Testament, here invested with great solemnity and dread. Balaam, the greedy soothsayer, has been asked by Balak, king of Moab, to lay a curse on his Israelite neighbors. An angel visits Balaam's dreams to warn him off—the Israelites are being watched over by a higher power—but he sets out for Moab anyway, with visions of his reward still in his head. Balaam's ass saves his life by dodging the angel's fiery sword, and Balaam winds up cursing Balak in words that God puts in his mouth. Paterson (A Midnight Clear, 1995, etc.) makes her adaptation fluid and briskly paced; Koshkin's illustrations are lovely, swarming with energy and color. Of particular interest is the afterword, which offers a brief overview of biblical writers and comments on the distinctiveness of Balaam's story. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 18, 1996
ISBN: 0-395-68969-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1996
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
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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