Drawing on real characters from her childhood, Passen tells a warmhearted story that is ``true, sort of.'' ``Back when there was only black-and-white television,'' she and her immediate family shared a house with Nana and Poppa, Uncle Angelo (a cop on the night-shift) and his rapidly growing brood, and Uncle Carmen, who comes home one day with terrific news: ``He gotta new job! Inna office! A suit job...No more he be a waiter!'' Despite Carmen's protestations (``I don't have enough money...''), the whole crew, with his fiancÇe and several more relatives, haul him down to Mr. Herbie's store, get him to try on a suit, pretend that he's won a free suit in a contest, and (while he's in the changing room) pool their resources (``Uh, I think I got a twenty here'') to pay for the suit. In the naive style she used in Fat, Fat Rose Marie (1991), Passen portrays these wonderfully ordinary people as cheerfully plain—an extended family of 21 Italian-Americans who can depend on each other. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-8050-1652-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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