A perky tale of a girl, Amanda Frankenstein (yes, Frankenstein) who persists in an unpopular fascination with bugs. This sweet-natured book is a happy marriage of pastel-toned, somewhat cartoony art with nicely paced, quietly humorous (though a bit longish) text. Amanda likes to observe live insects; she collects dead ones. She dreams of bugs; she draws bugs. She tries to confuse bats; she protects ants. She thoughtfully releases her brother's fireflies; she carefully steps around spider webs (this is a curious custom, since spiders are not technically insects and, in fact, eat bugs). Already a family pariah, Amanda further invites ostracism when she wears an ``Amanda Frankenstein: Friend of Bugs'' T-shirt on the first day of school. Even boys (McDonald is conscientiously breaking stereotypes here) are put off by her mania for insects. All's well that ends well. Happily, in school she finds a soul mate, an equally single-minded African-American girl, who, with similar dedication asserts that ``Reptiles are my life!'' Predictable, but gratifying. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-531-06874-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
None
``...She's a big one too,/Browsing on blossoms/Drenched with dew.'' In spritely verse, a child getting ready for school reports the drama accumulating outside her Vermont farmhouse window: traffic halts, minutes pass, and more animals congregate- -plus a paperboy treed by ``...a goat in the road! At the edge of our drive/As I pull on my socks/At seven-oh-five.'' By the time the school bus comes at ``seven forty-four,'' there are half a dozen noisy, friendly creatures waiting with the kids. The cadence propels the verse like a well-oiled ticking clock, while Pearson's dancing lines and effervescent watercolors embroider the humor at every turn, from a heap of toy animals on the little girl's bed—as numerous as those outdoors—to the cheerful crowd waving goodbye at the end. A joyous, comical pacesetter for a busy morning. (Picture book. 4-7)
None NonePub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-8037-1335-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
From St. Thomas, a cautionary tale about a heedless boy who narrowly escapes being eaten by a two-headed giant when he beguiles the giant's wife with his music. The story will need introducing, since neither title nor jacket painting hint of the drama within; it's a wonderful read- or tell-aloud, with colloquial dialogue, lots of repetition, and a satisfying symmetry in the way Tukama is lured, step by step, into the giant's clutches (``Get on my big toe, and play that song for me again.'' ``Jump on my knee.'' ``Climb up on my chest, and play that song louder''), and then, bit by bit, persuades the giant's wife to let him out of the bag in which he's imprisoned. Tukama's bouncy little songs are repeated so often that listeners will quickly learn them. Saint James's oil paintings combine large areas of bold, uninflected color, figures with featureless faces, and parallel brushstrokes suggesting palm fronds, light-flecked ocean billows, and jumbled rocks. An outstanding introduction to a less well-known folklore. Endnote on sources and local references. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-531-06811-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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