From the team behind Day of Delight (1994), a fictionalized account of the 198491 Falasha exodus from Ethiopia to Israel, narrated in an elevated, almost epic style by 12-year-old Menelik. His father—caught between famine and oppression—decides to leave Ethiopia. Menelik describes their adventures in the mountains and deserts, their passage to Sudan, their flight to Israel, and the modern wonders found there. The narrative is both dramatic and lyrical; evocative images fill the book: ``We ate sunset-colored yogurt. And we drank tea made from tiny paper tents dipped in hot water.'' With great artistry, Schur weaves disparate strands of the story—history, adventure, family drama, etc.—into a polished narrative. The subjects of Pickney's scratchboard illustrations—mainly people— are vividly delineated by fine white curves and hatch marks on the black background. The effect is quite striking: The pictures look like negatives of etchings. A handsome work. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1561-7
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1995
Couched as five chapters in which teacher ``Miss Prime'' (a high-heeled, spectacled horse) presents sequential lessons to a class of five lively little animals, a lucid introduction to an often vexing topic. Leedy presents concepts with unusual care- -e.g., each example of half differs conceptually from the others: a sandwich cut in half; a glass half full; ice cream that's half vanilla and half chocolate. Spreads are bright with color and inviting details; diagrams are simple and clear; real-world examples are varied, familiar, and of interest to the intended audience. Both divided wholes and sets are considered; there's also a chapter involving equal sharing, one on subtracting fractions from a whole, and a creative review in which the pupils test their teacher. An excellent contribution that meets a real need for attractive early math books. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 15, 1994
ISBN: 0-8234-1109-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Eighteen animal adaptations are contrasted with human inventions: people have slickers, while ducks have not only oiled feathers but a down lining; chipmunks lug their groceries in their cheeks (and then sleep in the larder, sinking ``lower and lower into their edible beds''); ants have strong jaws that rival a forklift, and keep aphid ``cows''; etc. Evans presents her concept in an inviting introduction and goes beyond the obvious in a succinct but mind-expanding paragraph or two about each comparison; De Groat contributes some humor in her pictures of the humans, while depicting the animals in crisp, realistic detail. Genuine science; attractive and fun. (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-517-58401-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1992
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