The thrill of the hunt propels two children into an unusual (to say the least) wildlife encounter on an isolated West Country moor, in this brief tale from the author of War Dog (1997). Left to their own devices on a fishing trip, nature enthusiasts Pati and Simon set out to explore the surrounding countryside in which, if local reports are to be believed, a panther roams. Pati, mad for leopards and other big cats, yearns for a sighting, not suspecting how quickly her wish is about to be granted—and in spades. Booth gives his young characters generous helpings of common sense and conscientious respect for the natural world, too. They pack the right supplies for a long hike, take proper safety precautions, and when they find not just one panther but an entire family, they resolve to keep the discovery, and the exciting pictures Pati takes, secret, knowing full well what would happen if this proof ever got out. The author doesn't even try to explain where the cats came from or how they could remain hidden in England, of all places, but there's enough wonder and satisfaction in the episode to still such questions. Appealingly short and absorbing. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-82976-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2001
This short tour of the jungle from Banks (And If the Moon Could Talk, 1998, etc.) and Bogacki (The Story of a Blue Bird, 1998, etc.) features so many rebuses that it is more of a puzzle than a picture book, but a fun one at that. Bird, Monkey, and Snake—a mildly contentious lot—have their treehouse washed out from under them in a storm. They set off into the great and deep greenery in search of a new abode, with visions of ideal trees dancing in their heads. Utopia they do not find; rather, they find themselves in a series of scary encounters with giant spiders, snapping crocodiles, rude squirrels, and menacing tigers. To their credit, they come to each other’s aid, lending courage and fortitude without fanfare. They do come upon a new tree home, and though a little green frog occupies it, he welcomes them. When their personal quirks again manifest themselves, they are accepted as part of the price of community. Banks keeps the story nimble, never peddling her points with too much fervor. Bogacki, in dappled and deep jungle hues, has fractured abstract images all over the page, giving an impression of the background but endowing the inhabitants with simple, clean forms. A neat cipher of the rebus symbols appears in the border of every spread. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 18, 1999
ISBN: 0-374-30729-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
A somber, useful study in how cultures both continue age-old traditions and change, given new circumstances. In her first book, Hazen-Hammond documents that combination of tradition and change among the Indians of the Nambe Pueblo of New Mexico, focusing on Thunder Bear Yates, an eight-year-old, and his family (his grandfather, Herbert Yates, is the spiritual leader of the Nambe Pueblo, a role Thunder Bear’s father, Ben, will assume, as will Thunder Bear). Thunder Bear is a contemporary child who likes baseball and computers, and a member of his tribe, learning the old ways. The author recounts the history of the Winter People, who, in the early 19th century, traveled each winter to the plains to hunt the ko, or buffalo. By 1860 the buffalo became scarce, greatly changing the life of the Winter People. Mere decades ago, Herbert Yates established a buffalo herd on Pueblo land, and renewed the old traditions. Tawny gold light fills the photographs of daily life, the buffalo and the charm of their young, the dignity of the people, and the incongruity of the smooth adobe walls with decorative bear tracks and a roof that sprouts a television antenna. A captivating photo essay, handsomely presented. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-525-46013-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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