A sympathetic look at sibling life from the perspective of the oldest daughter, whose toddler brother wreaks domestic havoc wherever he goes. Life with her brother is always tumultuous for Phyllis Mae; J.T. creates one mess after another as he careens through his days. In his wake, Phyllis often feels ignored and under-appreciated. When J.T. accidentally destroys the Mother’s Day cake, Phyllis Mae wonders why there isn’t a special day for daughters. Her wise grandmother circles Daughter’s Day on the calendar, only a week away; Phyllis Mae daydreams about what a day dedicated to her will entail—banana pancakes, a special cake and, most importantly, the undivided attention of Nana and Momma—but her ideal vision goes awry, due to J.T.’s antics. Pegram addresses the older child’s need for attention and a toddler’s need for constant surveillance with sensitivity and compassion; Phyllis Mae’s exasperation with J.T. is without anger and her ready acceptance of his presence at the Daughter’s Day party makes it clear that, frustrations and all, she loves her little brother. Van Wright and Hu’s extraordinarily lifelike watercolors are beautifully rendered; the expressive faces and gestures engage onlookers fully in the characters’ lives. Pegram’s understanding tale is a balm for readers with similar longings, and it provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of every family member in a household. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-8037-1557-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
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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