Old Isaac, a peddler with a reputation for being a little odd, pushes his cart without even a donkey for company, talking only to stone figures he builds on his way from village to village. But when he overhears the czar's soldiers planning to attack Bruria and can't wake the villagers (weary from their Passover preparations), he quickly builds a row of stone men that, in the dim light of dawn, frighten the soldiers away. Weiss draws her audience into the story by having a grandmother tell it as her own childhood experience. Using colored-pencil-and- pastels, she sets her expressively stylized figures on bare, almost treeless plains pulsing with the browns and greens of early spring, under the subtly glowing purples and blues of a changing sky. The terror—never so easy to foil—is omitted; but the tale of loner-turned-hero is appealing; the introduction to the setting is appropriate for its audience; and the beautifully composed illustrations are truly lovely. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 22, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-11015-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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