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THE CRANE WIFE

Name: THE CRANE WIFE
Author: Odds Bodkin
ISBN: 0-15-201407-1

adapted by Odds Bodkin & illustrated by Gennady Spirin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1998

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This rendition of the bittersweet Japanese tale about the lonely sail-maker Osamu, who finds and then loses his perfect mate, is a poetic gem. One night a lone crane is injured in a storm. Osamu nurses the crane back to health, and soon it flies away. During the next storm a beautiful woman, Yukiko, knocks on the sail-maker’s door. Osamu takes her in, and they fall in love. When they run out of money Yukiko weaves wonderful magic sails that Osamu sells for gold, promising that he will never look at her while she weaves. As the story goes, he breaks that promise. Bodkin’s retelling of the story is careful and his descriptions glow, dense with detail despite the spare use of words: “Autumn came, the season of storms. Red leaves fell on the dark wood of his porch.” Spirin’s watercolor illustrations, making full reference to Japanese style, are lyrical and atmospheric, portraying both climate and landscape, characters and emotions. An exquisite and memorable volume. (Picture book/folklore. 5-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-15-201407-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1998

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CHRISTMAS COBWEBS
by Odds Bodkin & illustrated by Terry Widener

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MY TEACHER FOR PRESIDENT

by Kay Winters & illustrated by Denise Brunkus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2004

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Come November, lots of people would cast their vote for Oliver’s teacher—just the kind of secure, commanding, compassionate presence it would be good to see in the White House. Arranged by Brunkus in warmly agreeable two-page spreads—the left side depicting the teacher tending to her responsibilities at school, the right side showing her attending to the same qualities as chief executive—Oliver tells us of her fondness for white houses, that she likes to be followed about, likes to travel, knows how to keep the attention of her charges, doesn’t mind any number of meetings, and signs important documents. Then Winters ups the ante: this gray-haired, bespeckled wise soul also knows first-hand how to react to emergencies, handle health-care issues, is interested in finding people jobs, keeping the Earth clean, and knows—here’s the kicker—how to listen. It all starts so early, these fundamentals of a sensitive existence, and Winters makes the parallels simple to digest. Here’s a third-party candidate to get behind. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004

ISBN: 0-525-47186-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2004

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DID YOU HEAR WHAT I HEARD?
by Kay Winters ; illustrated by Patrice Barton

- BOOK REVIEW
VOICES FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
by Kay Winters ; illustrated by Larry Day

- BOOK REVIEW
VOICES FROM THE OREGON TRAIL
by Kay Winters ; illustrated by Larry Day

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LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE

by Julie Sternberg and illustrated by Matthew Cordell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2011

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When Bibi, her first and favorite babysitter, moves away, it takes all of August for 8-year-old Eleanor to get beyond her sense of loss and get used to a new caretaker. Her parents grieve, too; her mother even takes some time off work. But, as is inevitable in a two-income family, eventually a new sitter appears. Natalie is sensible and understanding. They find new activities to do together, including setting up a lemonade stand outside Eleanor’s Brooklyn apartment building, waiting for Val, the mail carrier, and taking pictures of flowers with Natalie’s camera. Gradually Eleanor adjusts, September comes, her new teacher writes a welcoming letter, her best friend returns from summer vacation and third grade starts smoothly. Best of all, Val brings a loving letter from Bibi in Florida. While the story is relatively lengthy, each chapter is a self-contained episode, written simply and presented in short lines, accessible to those still struggling with the printed word. Cordell’s gray-scale line drawings reflect the action and help break up the text on almost every page. This first novel is a promising debut. Eleanor’s concerns, not only about her babysitter, but also about playmates, friends and a new school year will be familiar to readers, who will look forward to hearing more about her life. (Fiction. 7-9)