Dunrea (The Tale of Hilda Louise, 1996, etc.), in a mode more vague than subtle, tells of kindness magically rewarded; outstanding art is matched to a confusing, unfinished plot. Ever willing to help those in need, farmer Bracken Van Eyck pursues and finally catches a squat trow-wife's windblown bairn. Though he asks no reward, she gives him a black hen that, after a year-and-a-day's care, lays golden eggs. Dunrea's farmyard scenes combine exact, delicately brushed flowers and details with solid, gracefully posed figures, done in muted earth colors and placed along parallel red foreground lines; the effect is quiet and formal, with a touch of mystery. In the end, Van Eyck isn't changed by his wealth at all, except that he's able to be even more helpful, but readers are toldnot shownthat, and in such an abbreviated way that few are likely to understand the benison. Lovely art, and an unusual insight, squandered by mediocre storytelling. (glossary) (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 15, 1998
ISBN: 0-374-37792-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1998
In 1840, Libby and her parents live in Michigan, near a Potawatomi settlement. A young Indian girl (Libby's father calls her ``Fawn'' because she resembles a deer) befriends Libby, who sneaks away to visit Fawn's village while her own mother is giving birth. When the Indians are seized by white militia intent on moving them west, Libby is captured with them. Fawn's father leads his family and Libby in an escape that's notably without drama, returning Libby to her parents; Fawn's family heads north. Whelan's narrative is simple and readable, including a few basic insights into Indian and pioneer life (e.g., the Native Americans occasionally eat dogs). But her plot is languid, while the girls aren't drawn vividly enough to give their friendship much intensity. Gentle b&w illustrations. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-679-84464-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sam and Rowen have befriended a nesting duck in the park. When Sam finds the nest abandoned, with a dog's tracks around it, he fears the worst. Carefully, he and Rowen carry the eight eggs to their apartment and put them on the basement boiler, where they hope they'll stay warm enough to hatch. The difficulty of turning the eggs several times a day without arousing the suspicions of cranky superintendent Mr. Hedges induces the boys to enlist every child in the building to help divert his attention. The kids also figure out ways to use enough hot water to keep the boiler—and the eggs—warm. Of course, when the ducklings hatch it turns out that Mr. Hedges has known about them all along. Eventually, the hatchlings are adopted by a mother duck in the park. Sam now recognizes the analogy between his own ability to love them from a distance and his father's constant love for him, even though he has divorced Sam's mother and moved away. Newly proficient readers will enjoy the light, pleasant story, its happy outcome, and Chambliss's nicely expressive b&w illustrations. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-525-45071-8
Page Count: 84
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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