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GRANDMA DROVE THE LOBSTERBOAT

Name: GRANDMA DROVE THE LOBSTERBOAT
Author: Katie Clark
ISBN: 978-1-60893-004-3

by Katie Clark & illustrated by Amy Huntington ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2012

Spirited and often exciting, if a little ragged.

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When the weather gets rough, Grandma takes the helm.

The clanging of the bell buoy indicates choppy water, but that doesn't deter Grandma from her planned adventure with Little Billy. It's Labor Day, so she has the day off. (Most every other day she's running her trash-hauling/snowplow business.) She and Billy are going to relax in the lobsterboat while her son Bill (who has a wee problem with seasickness) tends to the catch. A thick fog rolls in just as it's time to head back. But Bill is weak-kneed in the stern of the lobsterboat, and Billy can't raise uncles Buster or Burt by phone. There's only one thing to do: With Little Billy as her eyes, Grandma takes the helm. It's a heart-stopping ride, swerving past the buoy and veering away from the rocks that support the lighthouse. Thanks to Grandma and Little Billy, the Labor Day lobster bake is a great success, and she rewards him with the biggest lobster he's ever seen. Clark's text is ample, and, while giving empowerment to senior citizens, the tone is consistently tongue-in-cheek. Many of Huntington's seascapes benefit by filling two wide pages. Some readers will wonder at plot holes, including the fact that savvy Grandma relies on her seasick son in the first place.

Spirited and often exciting, if a little ragged. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: June 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-60893-004-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Down East

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
SEAGULL SAM
by Katie Clark & illustrated by Amy Huntington

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CLIMBING LINCOLN'S STEPS

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN JOURNEY

by Suzanne Slade & illustrated by Colin Bootman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2010

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When work was begun on the Lincoln Memorial in 1914, no one could have imagined the history that would later unfold at the site. Slade uses the Memorial to create a brief series of snapshots of African-American history, beginning with the background that connects Abraham Lincoln to African-Americans. She moves on to Marian Anderson's legendary performance and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington and culminates with the inauguration of Barack Obama. Each moment is narrated in the present tense, providing sensory details to evoke atmosphere and just enough background to create meaning for the audience. Bootman’s illustrations clearly portray the emotions—fear, determination, joy—of the people present at each moment. The final two-page spread of the First Family viewing the Memorial is especially moving. Readers will find in this introduction a good overview and a solid base on which to continue building their knowledge of not only African-American history but the history of the United States. Thumbnail biographies of other changemakers and a timeline follow the text. (Informational picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-8075-1204-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Whitman

Review Posted Online: July 30, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
BEHOLD THE CHAMELEON
by Suzanne Slade ; illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

- BOOK REVIEW
UNLOCKING THE UNIVERSE
by Suzanne Slade

- BOOK REVIEW
THE OCEAN BLUE AND YOU
by Suzanne Slade ; illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

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ZAPATO POWER

FREDDIE RAMOS SPRINGS INTO ACTION

by Jacqueline Jules & illustrated by Miguel Benítez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2010

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Still hoping to find an occasion to be a superhero, Freddie Ramos finds it hard to keep the superspeed he gets from his shoes a secret in daily life. Mr. Vaslov, their inventor, gives him a wristband he hopes will control them, but instead of slowing down his shoes, it gives him a super spring. This sequel to Freddie Ramos Takes Off (2009) presumes knowledge of that title. There’s the barest minimum of explanation of the shoes or introduction of the characters. On the other hand, there’s plenty of action as Freddie twice rescues his neighbor’s ball, makes excuses to avoid running so his shoes won’t smoke and gets stuck in a tree before performing a heroic rescue. Freddie’s Hispanic heritage shows in descriptions of food and references to his deceased abuela, both worked in naturally. Cartoon art by Benítez accompanies the large-font text; the book looks accessible, although sentences do extend across page breaks. Boys who are able early readers will particularly appreciate this series; a third title is already on the way. (Fiction. 6-8)