In this play about playing, Reiser (Two Mice in Three Fables, 1995, etc.) provides a lesson about conflict resolution as well as a playable scenario about best friends Ruby and Beryl, who independently come up with the perfect game to play when their fathers take them to the park. Trouble is, it's the same game—horse and rider—and each wants to play the wild, tricky, beribboned horse. For a time, it's a stand-off, and Reiser's Sharpie-and-Crayola-marker art cleanly shows each girl's transformation into the headstrong horse, right down to Beryl's eyeglasses. Each girl tries to convince the other that a horse needs a rider, and when that doesn't do the trick, each determines to be both horse and rider. But this isn't right either; each girl recognizes the real problem, chorusing, ``But I wanted to play with YOU!'' After a cooling-off period, the girls separately devise the same solution: a new game in which two centaurs play together. The symmetry of the piece is somewhat disconcerting—by giving each girl and idea equal weight and value, the exercise is sterile and clipped instead of the emotional morass typical of most arguments. The bright, chipper look, however, will win readers; it's not hard to imagine children acting this out. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-688-15199-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1997
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
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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