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YO AESOP!

GET A LOAD OF THESE FABLES

Appropriately scheduled for publication on April Fools’ Day, these nine fables spin away wildly from their Aesopian predecessors: A flea-bitten dog spares one of his tiny tormenters, who then returns the favor when the dogcatcher arrives; worms develop an elaborate Early Bird Alarm, but can’t set it because they haven’t any hands; a cockroach comes to a bad end after helping an ungrateful dog and cat get a bag of cookies down from a high shelf; having wandered into a previous fable, the wolf in sheep’s clothing never makes his gig. Aesop himself appends jokes, protests, or critical comments to each fable; retro animal cartoons, ranging from full-bleed, in-your-face scenes to postage stamp vignettes, are placed beside, beneath, around, and within the text, which comes in various sizes of type. Readers of Jon Scieszka’s and Lane Smith’s Stinky Cheese Man (1992) will feel right at home; only by comparison could the send-ups and book design of this one possibly be considered restrained. (Picture book/folklore. 7-9)

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-689-80100-9

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1998

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RIVER STORY

Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: June 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000

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HORRIBLE HARRY AT HALLOWEEN

Every year since kindergarten, Harry’s Halloween costume has gotten scarier and scarier. What’s it going to be this year? He’s not telling. His classmates are all stunned when he shows up, not as some monster or a weird alien (well, not really)—but as neatly dressed Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, wielding a notebook and out to get “just the facts, ma’am.” As she has in Harry’s 11 previous appearances (15, counting the ones his classmate Song Lee headlines), Kline (Marvin and the Mean Words, 1997, etc.) captures grammar-school atmosphere, personalities, and incidents perfectly, from snits to science projects gone hilariously wrong. She even hands Harry/Friday a chance to exercise his sleuthing abilities, with a supply of baby powder “fairy dust” gone mysteriously missing. As legions of fans have learned to expect, Harry comes through with flying colors, pinning down the remorseful culprit in 11 minutes flat. No surprises here, just reliable, child-friendly, middle-grade fare. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-670-88864-8

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2000

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