by Peggy Christian & illustrated by Gary A. Lippincott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1995
In this labored and tiresome head trip, a bookstore mouse, Cervantes, narrates not only his adventures with Sigfried, a medieval scribe singularly ill-suited to his tasks, but also his triumph over Milo, a cat at the same address. Cervantes eats into a leatherbound volume, and, in one of the most felicitous lines in the book, reports that ``the words swept around me and through me and carried me away.'' This happens literally, although readers will have no sense of how until later in the book. Cervantes hooks up with Sigfried and accompanies him to save some pretentiously named troubadours (Chaucer, Barda, etc.) who have been captured by the dragon Censor; also present are Jargon the Giant and the Moralise Mountains where Censor is vanquished. Beating words into swords and asking readers in to play with them can cut two ways; the argument is not consistent and its fictional presentation is weak. Although readers (with dictionaries handy) may find themselves occasionally amused by the acrobatic wordplay, it engages the mind and not the heart. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-15-200203-0
Page Count: 125
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1995
Share your opinion of this book
More by Peggy Christian
BOOK REVIEW
by Peggy Christian & illustrated by Barbara Hirsch Lember
BOOK REVIEW
by Peggy Christian & illustrated by Carol Cottone-Kolthoff
by Joy Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999
Bishop’s spectacular photographs of the tiny red-eyed tree frog defeat an incidental text from Cowley (Singing Down the Rain, 1997, etc.). The frog, only two inches long, is enormous in this title; it appears along with other nocturnal residents of the rain forests of Central America, including the iguana, ant, katydid, caterpillar, and moth. In a final section, Cowley explains how small the frog is and aspects of its life cycle. The main text, however, is an afterthought to dramatic events in the photos, e.g., “But the red-eyed tree frog has been asleep all day. It wakes up hungry. What will it eat? Here is an iguana. Frogs do not eat iguanas.” Accompanying an astonishing photograph of the tree frog leaping away from a boa snake are three lines (“The snake flicks its tongue. It tastes frog in the air. Look out, frog!”) that neither advance nor complement the action. The layout employs pale and deep green pages and typeface, and large jewel-like photographs in which green and red dominate. The combination of such visually sophisticated pages and simplistic captions make this a top-heavy, unsatisfying title. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-87175-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
Share your opinion of this book
More by Joy Cowley
BOOK REVIEW
by Joy Cowley ; illustrated by Giselle Clarkson
BOOK REVIEW
by Joy Cowley ; illustrated by Kimberly Andrews
BOOK REVIEW
by Hye-Eun Shin ; illustrated by Su-Bi Jeong ; edited by Joy Cowley
by Seymour Simon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30, 1993
Varieties, life cycle, pack and hunting behavior, and the current status of this endangered predator—although with what may seem too many transparently rhetorical questions (``Are wolves savage and destructive hunters of people and livestock?'') and fillers (``After wolves kill a large animal, they may rest for a brief time or eat right away''). Without attribution, Simon states that ``...there is no record of a healthy wolf ever trying to kill a human in North America.'' In Gray Wolf, Red Wolf (1990, for slightly older readers), Patent is more precise: ``there is no record of a healthy wild wolf attacking a human.'' Patent also does a better job of stating the case for and against reintroducing wolves in national parks. Still, though his text isn't up to his usual high standard, Simon again selects outstanding photos—this book's strongest and most appealing feature. (Nonfiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1993
ISBN: 0-06-022531-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1993
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.