A twist on the classic initiation tale of a first fishing trip and its catch-and-release ending. Set somewhere in the Northwest, this fish tale sees Jimmy Joe set out in a boat with the mysterious Fish Woman, in hopes of catching a prized salmon. After landing the enormous fish, Jimmy Joe feels unsettled. At this point, the story detours into the sighting of a pod of killer whales. In Jimmy Joe’s enthusiasm, he abruptly surrenders his salmon to them in the hopes of luring the whales back for another glimpse. Children may puzzle over Jimmy Joe’s choice and Franklin’s continuous toying with the values of beauty over sustenance (the salmon is beautiful, but dies on the ice and is useful only as food; abruptly, the food is given to the whales, and Jimmy Joe has to go catch and cook more fish). The shapes and colors of Lavallee’s seascapes are as glistening as the salmon’s scales in sunlight. Friendly, rounded forms depict native people bent to various tasks alongside gliding, surfacing whales. The self-conscious message nearly kidnaps the story, but it is redeemed by the effervescent watercolors. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8118-0447-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
Lunge-Larsen and Preus debut with this story of a flower that blooms for the first time to commemorate the uncommon courage of a girl who saves her people from illness. The girl, an Ojibwe of the northern woodlands, knows she must journey to the next village to get the healing herb, mash-ki- ki, for her people, who have all fallen ill. After lining her moccasins with rabbit fur, she braves a raging snowstorm and crosses a dark frozen lake to reach the village. Then, rather than wait for morning, she sets out for home while the villagers sleep. When she loses her moccasins in the deep snow, her bare feet are cut by icy shards, and bleed with every step until she reaches her home. The next spring beautiful lady slippers bloom from the place where her moccasins were lost, and from every spot her injured feet touched. Drawing on Ojibwe sources, the authors of this fluid retelling have peppered the tale with native words and have used traditional elements, e.g., giving voice to the forces of nature. The accompanying watercolors, with flowing lines, jewel tones, and decorative motifs, give stately credence to the story’s iconic aspects. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-90512-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1999
This vibrant, thoughtful book from Katz (Over the Moon, 1997) continues her tribute to her adopted daughter, Lena, born in Guatemala. Lena is “seven. I am the color of cinnamon. Mom says she could eat me up”; she learns during a painting lesson that to get the color brown, she will have to “mix red, yellow, black, and white paints.” They go for a walk to observe the many shades of brown: they see Sonia, who is the color of creamy peanut butter; Isabella, who is chocolate brown; Lucy, both peachy and tan; Jo-Jin, the color of honey; Kyle, “like leaves in fall”; Mr. Pellegrino, the color of pizza crust, golden brown. Lena realizes that every shade is beautiful, then mixes her paints accordingly for portraits of her friends—“The colors of us!” Bold illustrations celebrate diversity with a child’s open-hearted sensibility and a mother’s love. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5864-8
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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