Uninspired illustrations mar this rendition of a German miracle tale. When a cobbler and his family are burned out of their Chicago shop, they find shelter in an abandoned house, but to make a new start they must sell a rescued box of blown-glass tree ornaments that has been in the family for generations. When they wake on Christmas morning, though, they find their bare tree decorated with webs cast by the spiders living in the rafters. Widener (Peg and the Whale, 2000, etc.) hasn’t put much thought into this: the “old abandoned farmer’s shack” comes tidy, weatherproof, and fully furnished; the human characters bear exaggerated, open-mouthed smiles; and the tree’s new ornaments are ornate, free-swinging stars and angels that look more like starched string figures than spider webs. Stick with Bodkin’s recorded version, available on the audiotape, Winter Cherries: Holiday Tales From Around the World (1994). (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-201459-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gulliver/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
paper 0-440-41499-7 When Mike learns that he will be spending Easter at his grandmother’s house on Staten Island, he worries that the Easter Bunny will be unable to locate him and deliver goodies. A well-planned story line weaves together several humorous episodes: an attempt to find E.B. Rabbit’s telephone number in the local directory, the creation of a detailed geographic map and colorful signs, plus a heartfelt letter that includes vital information like the color of his grandmother’s front door. Weston’s full-color illustrations capture Mike’s fears, doubts, determination, and final joy; Winters’s book comforts children and reminds them of the power of belief. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 9, 1999
ISBN: 0-385-32596-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Daisy, the duckling who learned a thing or two about paying attention in Come Along, Daisy! (1998), returns in a story of anticipation, persistence, and faith. This acceptably guileless creature enters situations without fear for the consequences; call it youth. Here she is helping her aunt and her mother tend to their eggs. The aunt’s three ducklings hatch out, while the mother’s green egg remains inert. Daisy hangs in there, lending her warm underbelly to the cause, even after her mother casually notes that “some eggs just don’t hatch.” It is a long night for Daisy, but come morning, a new sibling emerges. Despite the heft of the issues, Simmons never allows them to get ponderous. The artwork is equally open-hearted, capturing Daisy’s wait through a succession of lovely paintings that have a variety of entertaining, quite striking perspectives. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79747-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
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