by Laura Berkeley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1999
Less is more becomes the central theme of this preachy parable with biblical overtones from Berkeley, kaleidoscopically illustrated by Dexter (Caitl°n Matthews’s The Blessing Seed, 1998). The author structures her didactic tale around an old hermit who lives at one end of the rainbow. At the other end resides a rich, young merchant with plenty of material wealth, who seeks elusive peace and happiness. After summoning the old hermit to teach him his secret to peace and happiness, he has difficulty understanding the hermit’s simple ways. The old man keeps to himself, sleeps under a tree, and talks with the animals rather than partaking in all of the wonders of the merchant’s mansion. The overriding “peace is within” message is heavyhanded throughout, but when the gray-bearded hermit imparts his final wisdom in a vaporous speech, children may be more perplexed than peaceful. Admirable batik-like illustrations glitter with all the colors of the rainbow, but without a strong story, they create more pattern and decorative mosaic than character and emotion. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-84148-007-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1999
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by David Shannon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999
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
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by Debi Gliori ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999
Small, a very little fox, needs some reassurance from Large in the unconditional love department. If he is grim and grumpy, will he still be loved? “ ‘Oh, Small,’ said Large, ‘grumpy or not, I’ll always love you, no matter what.’ “ So it goes, in a gentle rhyme, as Large parries any number of questions that for Small are very telling. What if he were to turn into a young bear, or squishy bug, or alligator? Would a mother want to hug and hold these fearsome animals? Yes, yes, answers Large. “But does love wear out? Does it break or bend? Can you fix it or patch it? Does it mend?” There is comfort in Gliori’s pages, but it is a result of repetition and not the imagery; this is a quick fix, not an enduring one, but it eases Small’s fears and may well do the same for children. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-202061-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
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