Aiming for depth, this refugee tale offers obscure impressions and dark vagueness. “Ziba came on a boat. A soggy old fishing boat that creaked and moaned… across an endless sea. . . . ” Ziba misses “home,” where she and her cousins “laughed as they splashed each other with icy water, and carried the heavy clay pots to the warmth of the mud-brick house.” However, the memories that Lofthouse describes as lighthearted appear heavy and sad in Ingpen’s beautiful paintings; the visual mood is consistently dismal, coloring the homeland grim throughout. Even Ziba’s father’s purportedly “peaceful face” looks worried or threatening, his forehead creased. After the ostensibly happy time, a “darkness” involving “gunfire” descends. Ziba’s homeland is not named, nor is her destination, a “new land” where her mother anticipates “Freedom.” The incongruity between Ingpen’s haunting illustrations and Lofthouse’s text, and the lack of geographic detail, create confusing desolation rather than the attempted emotional mix. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-933605-52-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007
Bears aren’t the only animals that growl, or so Harry the cat discovers on his first camping trip, in the great wilds of his backyard. As the night grows darker, the noises outside Harry’s tent become louder, until he abandons camping for shelter under his bed. The next morning, he and his small sister discover the source of the noises and food-theft—a raccoon. The suspense of the story and Ruelle’s friendly watercolors make this Level 2 Holiday House Reader ideal for beginners; kids will race to the finale to find out just what the ringtailed, masked monster really was. Younger children aren’t the only campers who will identify with the spookiness of nighttime noises—a tent’s thin walls are scant protection from animal growls and the big imaginations of readers of all ages. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1417-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
An evocative tale about a cat that appears and vanishes into the seaside fog, depending on the season. Every day when Hannah accompanies her grandfather to the seaside, she tries to tame the wild gray kitty they see, which she calls Fog Cat. Gradually she draws the feral cat closer, and with tidbits of fish and the lure of a warm hearth, she wins its trust. All through the winter, Fog Cat is Hannah’s pet, but come spring it disappears again, leaving behind a kitten for Hannah to raise. Helmer’s story is moving, but never cloying; the watercolor greens and blues of Mombourquette’s palette wash the beaches with mist. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-460-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
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