A third book about a likable, strong-minded child who lives in a friendly British village with her ``mom.'' Fans of Josie (Josie Smith, 1989) will remember that, though she's conscientious and well-intentioned, her imagination and persistence tend to get her into amusing trouble. This time, three long episodes involve Josie's abortive attempt to take her new teacher a bouquet; the difficulty of making friends with an Indian classmate who doesn't know English; and a mix-up concerning a class play, when the new haircut Josie at first admires causes her to be drafted for a male role—which turns out to be just one of several miscastings that precipitate a comical epidemic of tears. Nabb's artfully mixed humor and sympathy for childhood's dramas and misunderstandings rivals Cleary's. Her deftly sketched characters, both children and adults, are wonderfully three- dimensional: a martinet of a principal, Josie's wise but not infallible mother, perennial rival/friend Eileen—each is a believable blend of strengths and faults. Again, Vainio's lively drawings capture the essence of the more telling moments. A fine chapter book for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Dec. 5, 1991
ISBN: 0-689-50533-7
Page Count: 106
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Industrious Tsugele shocks her tradition-minded parents by announcing that she won't marry any man who isn't as reliable as her trusty besom. After rejecting two suitors, she strikes out on her own and finds a job in a nearby town. One morning her broom disappears; hunting for it, she meets an extremely thin, hard-working man with kind eyes and a stiff shock of golden hair. It's love at first sight. His name? Broom, of course. Tsugele accepts the miracle uncritically; readers may find the ending rather sudden, but will certainly pick up on Tsugele's happy independence. As usual, the simple gestures and comically exaggerated expressions Zimmer gives his figures closely reflect the story's turns while broadening the humor; woven woodcut borders around each scene, plus the characters' peasant dress, give this original tale a traditional air. (Picture book. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 30, 1993
ISBN: 0-06-020986-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
In her brief text, Collard develops the theme that ``no animal exists just to scare, hurt, or disgust us''; still, her two dozen selections (bats, tarantulas, vultures, giant squid, piranhas, etc.) all get their kid appeal from their infamous reputations. The point of view puts an odd spin on some of her facts: ``Sharks don't cry, but they are sensitive'' and ``don't seem to like the taste of people very much''; ``Scorpions are not friendly, but they will not attack you either,'' etc. Some facts are also inconsistent with other sources: the Tasmanian devil is ``really just a small, shy animal'' that ``likes [nothing] better than...basking in the warm sun,'' whereas Kathy Darling (in Tasmanian Devil, 1992) describes the animal as nocturnal and states that ``All Tassie devils are naturally ill-tempered and aggressive.'' The last animal here is a ``Razor-Tooth Slime-Encrusted Bone-Muncher,'' complete with slobbering purple-and-green portrait; a book of similarly humorous imaginary monsters might be a more appropriate vehicle for this team. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-88106-491-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
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