Larnel gets to know newly widowed Mrs. Katz when he goes along with his mother to pay a comforting visit; next day, he goes back with a tailless kitten ("Tush") that she agrees to accept "if you'll come and help me with her." So begins a touching friendship between the lonely old immigrant and the young African-American. "Such a person," Mrs. Katz calls him- -her highest praise; they exchange feelings about being excluded from some places, and when he volunteers to share Passover (her first without Mr. Katz) she explains that it's a celebration of freedom: "Like your people, my people were slaves." Tush has kittens—"at last I am a bubee!" Much later, Larnel's babies also think of Mrs. Katz as their grandmother: on the last page, there is a kaddish and a headstone inscription: "Mrs. Katz, Our Bubee...Such a Person." A book full of vibrantly idiosyncratic details; in the energetic illustrations, Polacco combines decorative patterns and lively action with her usual panache. Truly affectionate and heartwarming. (Picture book. 4-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-553-08122-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bantam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
No need to wonder what-l to read next. Grab this axo-lent charmer!
Two siblings’ antics add up to a whole lot of cuteness.
Plum-colored Axolotl doesn’t do things by halves. You might say she goes full throttle, living life “to the max-a-lotl,” whether she’s skateboarding or playing her “sax-a-lotl while doing jumping jacks-a-lotl.” Artsy, lemon yellow younger brother Axolittle is a bit more subdued; he enjoys studying “facts a little," “dances, sings, and acts a little," and “loves to just relax a little.” The sibs generally get along until one day, while pretending she’s a duck, Axolotl accidentally ruins Axolittle’s painting; he squirts paint on her in retaliation. Axolotl’s mad-l; Axolittle’s sad-l. The next step? Call in Axo-Dad-l! That wise intercessor calms his weepy kids down, helping them reach an accord “in the axo-middle.” The contrite kids apologize and are soon reading, snacking, and cuddling “to the max-a-lotl.” This hilarious tale, expressed via frisky rhymes that read and scan well, is chock-full of nimble wordplay. Adults sharing this winner should encourage children to take inspiration from the text and make up their own similarly nonsensical (yet somehow logical) terms. Kids may also wish to learn about real axolotls (aquatic, gilled salamanders). The illustrations, incorporating some very creative typography, zing with color and energy and feature protagonists brimming with personality.
No need to wonder what-l to read next. Grab this axo-lent charmer! (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: July 8, 2025
ISBN: 9781464237904
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A young girl carries a carton of potted flowers from the supermarket home and up the stairs; she and her father replant them in a window box and light candles on a birthday cake to surprise Mom when she comes wearily home from work. In Hewitt's expansive oil paintings, the girl's honey-brown face shines as brightly as the daisies and daffodils; Bunting's brief rhymed text ("Garden in a cardboard box/Walking to the bus/Garden sitting on our laps/People smile at us!") celebrates the child's contagious happiness, the warm response of everyone who sees her, and the pleasure of having "a color jamboree" of flowers in the window of an inner-city apartment, high above the street. A simple, pleasing episode with a contemporary subtext. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-15-228776-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1994
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