The simple plot uses perfectly believable characterizations to discuss deceptively complex emotions and issues for those who...
A story taken from real life provides the foundation for a tale of healing through human interconnection.
Ursula is a ten-year-old girl with a big imagination and a love for her small Montana town, finding enough happy magic at home by leading her pirate crew in fanciful adventures in between helping her Pa at his stagecoach station. But when she survives a smallpox scare only to be left with a pitted face, vanity replaces her ebullient spirit and she won’t leave her room. Pa hires Ah Sam, a Chinese cook, to help feed the passengers when the stages arrive. Her “curiosity bump” is larger than her prejudice against him, and the two soon find they share a common loneliness as well as a common love of the circus. She begins once again to help in the kitchen, although she still won’t show her face outdoors. She faces a turning point, however, when a mean-spirited stage passenger harasses Ah Sam, who cannot retaliate because of state law. Ursula decides she must cheer up the now ashamed cook, realizing that they all share what Indian Tom calls “the mark” of outsiders. One kindness leads to another as Ah Sam’s circus relatives arrive to entertain the town with their special magic while Ursula is enlisted to back them up with music. Yep (Newbery Honor, Dragon’s Gate, 1994), has applied his considerable skills to embellish a true story into a moving parable of how people help each other overcome suffering.
The simple plot uses perfectly believable characterizations to discuss deceptively complex emotions and issues for those who would mine its lessons, but Ursula’s own story of healing is rewarding enough for those who read from the younger child’s point of view. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-06-029325-X
Page Count: 128
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A weak story that has echoes of familiar folktales, but no resonance. A selfish crocodile who lived “deep in the forest” commands all the other animals to stay away from the river, which he considers his. “I’ll eat you up!” he warns. The animals have to walk “for miles out of their way” to find drinking water. One day the crocodile has a toothache, and when the others are too frightened to get close, a mouse pulls the tooth and promises to help him in the future. Consequently, the crocodile invites all the creatures to enjoy the river, although the connection between having a friend and declaring open house is left vague. The illustrations have a greeting-card charm, with 13 animals trudging off for water bearing the same pop-eyed, frowning expression. When the crocodile groans in pain, the animals don’t look toward the source of sound, but up in the air at the words “GROAN . . . GROAN.” (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-888444-56-8
Page Count: 28
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
PLB 0-7358-1055-9 Buddy is the new dog on the block, a chartreuse pudge-ball of immense visual appeal. His problem is that he can’t make any friends; every creature in the vicinity—mouse to sheep, cats, rabbits, and even other dogs—either leaves him, glowers at him, or chases him off. Buddy, reduced to tears, is approached by a sympathetic fox. When Buddy relates that nobody seems to like him, the fox suggests he ask why, a question that demands courage. The fox accompanies Buddy on his friendship quest, and, as in Mike McClintock’s classic A Fly Went By (1958), it turns out to be a case of mistaken intentions—the cats thought Buddy was going to attack them, the sheep thought he was going to herd them, and so forth. Once things get straightened out, they all become friends. Krischanitz’s message—that making that second effort is fraught with emotional landmines, but might be worth the effort—is a noble one, and that it was recommended by a fox will give it the seal of approval with children. The artwork is stellar, a feast of highly expressive imagery. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7358-1054-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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