An enjoyable, well-researched nonfiction work for young readers.
In this children’s book, the American frontier is seen through the eyes of a California family.
In 1885, Frederick Godde arrived in New York City from his home in rural Germany eager for a fresh start in a new country. The 22-year-old arrived in the U.S. the same year as the Statue of Liberty and left behind 14 generations in the North Rhine-Westfalia region. Godde then boarded a train to Los Angeles, where his three brothers were already located, all eager to make their marks. At first, Godde worked at a winery in Hollywood, learning English and meeting farmers, hoping one day to start a farm of his own, like his ancestors did before him. The Mojave Desert presented an opportunity in the form of government-funded land for homesteading, which allowed individuals to own up to 160 acres as long as they improved the land and lived there for at least five years. Conditions were extremely challenging, and Godde not only survived, he thrived. He married Swiss immigrant Mary Weber, and the couple raised nine children—five girls and four boys—on the homestead. In 1897, Godde finally found the perfect crop for the desert: almonds. He joined the California Almond Growers Exchange, which, in 1910, began the Blue Diamond almond brand, which can still be found in stores today. Stamets is the daughter of Godde’s youngest son, nicknamed “The Caboose” by his family, who lived on the homestead his entire life. She includes fun facts about homesteading (including a unique method for dyeing Easter eggs and the Godde family’s method for getting their chickens to sleep) as well as photos of the real Frederick Godde and his family and her own digital illustrations. The result is a strong homage to family. This vibrant, appealing history, with a Little House on the Prairie–esque feel, is full of good, clean fun on a (literal) shoestring and detailed information on the Homestead Act, almond growing, and desert life.
An enjoyable, well-researched nonfiction work for young readers.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: L&M Stamets
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
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