A trip to the barbershop turns around an African-American lad’s attitude toward his neighborhood in this purposeful but unpreachy debut. As Marcus walks down shabby, nearly deserted streets, past litter and weeds, closed stores, men drinking from brown paper bags, hearing sirens and honking horns, his spirits sink lower and lower. Seeing his long face, the people hanging out in the barbershop tell him to keep his chin up and look for the good news instead: this close, hardworking family; that pretty garden; over there a man and his son who repair old bicycles to give away to local children. Milwaukee resident Ruebartsch illustrates Marcus’s journey with bluntly realistic black-and-white photos, parts of which become hand-colored as Marcus, making his way home and seeing his community in a new light, resolves not just to observe the good news, but to make some of it himself. It’s an unabashed pep talk, overlaid with just a veneer of story, but Cole, a clinical psychologist, speaks directly to the concerns of many young people, and rightly suggests that real change comes from within. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8075-4743-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
A skirmish over a favorite stuffed rabbit nearly destroys a friendship and the toy itself, but well-timed physical and emotional bandaging saves the day. When a little boy moves in next door to a little girl they quickly becomes friends and start sharing toys. This works well for cars, trucks, bears, and balls, but when the boy shows up with a new stuffed rabbit, cooperation goes out the window. In the ensuing tug-of-rabbit, each child yanks on the poor bunny’s ears until the stitching gives way. Figuring out a way to repair the rabbit also eventually patches up the friendship. Minor battles rage in homes and preschools everywhere, so children and adults alike will appreciate this subtle example of a peaceful resolution to toy disputes. Jahn-Clough’s pleasantly stubby children convey both healthy loud-mouthed anger and substantial charm. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-93545-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The poster boy for relentless mischief-makers everywhere, first encountered in No, David! (1998), gives his weary mother a rest by going to school. Naturally, he’s tardy, and that’s but the first in a long string of offenses—“Sit down, David! Keep your hands to yourself! PAY ATTENTION!”—that culminates in an afterschool stint. Children will, of course, recognize every line of the text and every one of David’s moves, and although he doesn’t exhibit the larger- than-life quality that made him a tall-tale anti-hero in his first appearance, his round-headed, gap-toothed enthusiasm is still endearing. For all his disruptive behavior, he shows not a trace of malice, and it’ll be easy for readers to want to encourage his further exploits. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48087-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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