A generous act in a time of need is the highlight of this unforced Hanukkah/Christmas tale from Polacco (Babushka's Mother Goose, 1995, etc.). The narrator recalls the bustle of her family's Michigan farmhouse years ago as Hanukkah approached, with women and children clustering in the kitchen and Grampa, in his workshop, busily carving and painting small animals as gifts. Their non-Jewish neighbors celebrate a different December holiday with different customs but the same spirit—until one year when all are bedridden with scarlet fever. It seems only right to make a Christmas tree for each—but what can they use for decorations? Grampa's animals, of course. Polacco's familiar medley of bright striped and floral print clothing surrounding friendly pink faces creates a perfect visual counterpart to her well-told, sentimental story. Make sure readers have their hankies ready. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80862-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1996
Categories: CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION
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A wondrous occurrence, an ancient tradition, and an elderly nun’s abiding faith are the basis of this moving Chirstmas tale from dePaola (26 Fairmount Avenue, p. 629, etc.). Sister Angie is overjoyed when her niece Lupe and her husband are selected to play Mary and Joseph—here, Maria and José—for Las Posadas, the reenactment of the journey into Bethlehem. When Sister Angie becomes ill and Lupe and Roberto become stranded in a heavy snowstorm, it seems as if the celebration will be delayed. However, a couple arrives just in time to take the place of the missing players. The whole village participates in the procession, from the singers who follow Mary and Joseph, to the “devils” who attempt to prevent the weary travelers from finding lodging. After several rebuffs, the couple arrives at the gates of the courtyard; these open and the entire assembly enters to celebrate. When Lupe and Roberto finally show up, the other couple is nowhere to be found. The story takes a supernatural twist when Sister Angie discovers that the figures in the church’s manger scene have come to life, temporarily, for the procession. The mysteries and miracles of the season are kept at bay; this simple narrative spells everything out, resulting in a primer on the tradition. Richly hued, luminescent illustrations radiate from the pages; an introduction and author’s note provide additional information. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23400-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
Categories: CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION
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Pinkney, at his grandest, matches a poetically phrased text—the Ark “rose over their heads. It rose over the treetops. The strong wooden beams embraced the clouds”—with sweeping spreads of dappled paintings that capture brilliantly the hugeness of the Ark a-building, the wonder of so many creatures gathering peaceably to crowd aboard, and the closing glory of a planet festooned with rainbows as signs of God’s promise to the Charlton Heston–like Noah.
Of the making of Noahs there seems to be no end, but while other recent versions of the tale put Noah’s family on center stage, or feature realistically depicted animals or humorous touches, this brings out the vast scale of the flood: “The water rose over cities and towns. Whales swam down ruined streets. Schools of fish darted through empty windows.” But turn the page and there inside “everyone was safe.” Filling his pages with lovely earth tones, Pinkney’s occasional use of color stands out all the more: a baboon’s multicolored nose, a bright blue robe, a bright red apple, or a bird’s brilliant plumage. And then there’s all that water.
A glorious choice for reading aloud. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 978-1-58717-201-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: SeaStar/North-South
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
Categories: CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION
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