Although LC calls this wonderful, consoling book fiction, it is more truly a prayer, a moving affirmation of death as a natural part of life—and a tribute to the wisdom and culture of the Plains Indians. Quoting several of their memorably poetic prayers, Goble notes that he has "embroidered upon a few of the thoughts which Plains Indian people express. Dying, they say, is like climbing up a long and difficult slope towards a high pine-covered ridge on the Great Plains." Responding to her mother's call, an old woman makes such a journey as her family grieves by her body; from the top, she views a surpassingly beautiful country, burgeoning with flowers and herds of animals, peopled with long-dead loved ones. Meanwhile, her living family follows their traditional ceremony for the dead, mourning yet recognizing that while "the body goes back to the earth. . .the spirit lives forever . . .the dead, and the living, and those who will one day be born are part of a great circle." The meticulously detailed illustrations, joyously celebrating the earth's poignant loveliness, are in a style similar to the one used in Her Seven Brothers (p. 362/C-52), with white outlines used to brighten the images. Goble explains that he has left faces blank to allow readers to imagine in their own way. This outstandingly beautiful book should indeed free imaginations to soar.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1988
ISBN: 0689717318
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Bradbury
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1988
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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