For someone whose idea of style even in 1959 is to change her first name and stick matching cardboard daisies on her luggage, Daisy Summerfield comes a long way in a short time. You'll like her from the start though, this wide-eyed Midwesterner whose commonest phrase is "thank you very much" though she can be icy enough to a salesman who tries to pick her up on the train. The change begins when Daisy, on her way to fashion design school in New York though she really longs to be an artist, coolly decides to switch luggage with Daphne Steven, a sandals and peasant blouse type she sees on the train reading Art and Reality and embodying for Daisy the very essence of creativity. Daisy's first move on arrival at the Buxton Hotel for Women is to withdraw from the fashion school, and a piece of walnut and some tools in Daphne's suitcase starts her out in wood carving; later she turns to clay, forming little figures depicting Astonishment, Happiness, etc., and rigged up with baby buttons and thread so that "you can move their arms as you look into their faces." During her first year in New York Daisy makes no friends and goes nowhere but the Greek luncheonette, book store and art supply shop, but her excitement in planning out her figures and getting them right, her yearning and searching for a revolving pedestal on wheels for carving in her room, her delight with her own room and her new sculpture books provide all the ups and downs we need. In the end Daphne reappears, happy with her elegant new wardrobe and with her fiance Alan Kodaly who promises enthusiastically to show Daisy's work to his gallery-owning father. It's a proper fairy tale ending, confirming for the skeptical that Daisy is an artist indeed—but by then it couldn't be dearer that the real joy is all in the getting there.
Pub Date: Aug. 13, 1978
ISBN: 0440917441
Page Count: 115
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1975
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
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves
A young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. There is no one like you. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness; maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy—they will make messes and mistakes—but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white.
More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelves . (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946873-75-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
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