Shopping for ingredients to bake her mother a birthday cake, Sarah stops at the greengrocer's for an orange and the bakery for advice but is reluctant to go to Singer's; though they have the flour and eggs she needs, she's fascinated and horrified by the blue numbers the nice old couple have tattooed on their arms. When Mrs. Singer finds out what troubles the eight-year-old (``I know how you got them,'' says Sarah. ``And that they are your secret''), she reassures her (``The numbers should never be a secret'') and, in helping her to bake the cake in her own kitchen so that it will be a surprise, recalls the first cake she made in the same pan. An appealing story that gently but effectively makes its point. Rand's cheerfully nostalgic watercolors suggest the late '40s. Recipe for orange sponge cake included; it's a good thing Sarah had adult help. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-688-12075-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
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