PLB 0-06-027359-3 The timorous specter from this team’s The Teeny Tiny Ghost (1998) reappears for a thrilling, hair-raising adventure. Woefully faint- hearted, the teeny tiny ghost knows he must practice being brave and in the school yard he valiantly faces the intimidating playground slide. However, when he returns home to discover empty rocking chairs moving on their own, mysteriously billowing draperies, and rattling chains, the apprehensive apparition’s courage is tested. Winters’s suspenseful story lends itself to a rousing recital at story hours; the steadily building tension as the diminutive spirit searches the house will generate delightful shivers, while the prosaic climax, in which it is revealed that Cousin Brad is completing his “hide and haunt” homework, prevents the tale from becoming too frightening for a younger audience. Munsinger’s merry illustrations, overflowing with many humorous touches, contribute to this gleefully boisterous tale. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 31, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-027358-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It is dawn on a day of street parties, and children are donning minimalist costumes (an underwater mask for a deep-sea diver, a cowboy hat to evoke a cowboy) so that “even those who love us must guess our identities.” Of course the children aren’t truly disguised: “I know you, Mardi Gras,” one friend calls from the sidewalk. By the fifth spread, readers understand that this is more than a children’s party; “Mardi Gras Indians live in our neighborhood,” and each emerges from “the door blinds of his small house like a spring flower opening.” Five of the double-page oil paintings are given over to actual parade scenes; the rest of the book features more domestic scenes of children in their homes and backyards during the long Mardi Gras day. The story is poetic, but puzzling to children new to the subject: Where is the story taking place? What are “Mardi Gras Indians,” and how to makes sense of the statement “A parade named Zulu will pass”? In read-aloud sessions, cover the author’s note in the back first, for a more succinct introduction to some of the customs of the New Orleans parade. Shaik’s narrative is deliberately child-centered, offering an insider’s view of the day but not quite succeeding in beckoning newcomers to it. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-1442-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
A refreshing story about Mother’s Day features a terrifically thoughtful girl who comes up with just the right present. Charity, who is probably in first grade, hears from her teacher that there are two days until Mother’s Day. She starts thinking about a gift, dismissing silly suggestions. The next day, she views her multi-tasking mother handling toast, dishwasher, phone, and microwave, maintaining a harried, frantic pace. Anxiety keeps Charity awake Saturday night till she thinks of the perfect gift. She unplugs the clocks and turns off “everything that beeps or bleeps or buzzes.” The clever and homey text is illustrated with comic scenes that exaggerate the mother’s busy life without—for most households—making it absurd. Charity’s care in coming up with a present is subtly conveyed, making the lesson far more powerful. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8075-4955-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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