Jimmy Novak's daredevil prank coincides with a towboat accident on the Mississippi that almost claims his father's life—in a suspense-filled story that should make readers ponder the value of the macho image. "Thonker" was the affectionate nickname that the surgeon who treated Jimmy's knee injury gave his young patients; Jimmy and two of his friends adopt it for their exclusive club, vying with one another as stoical survivors of whatever major or minor pain they encounter—or inflict. When Jimmy's cousin David comes to stay while his widowed mother has heart surgery, they callously exclude him—he's not only younger, but unforgivably wimpy. The three older boys engage in a stunt involving a railroad drawbridge, and are sobered by the danger they finally comprehend after escaping intact; coming home, Jimmy learns that his father is missing—and during the harrowing night that follows, he comes to understand the courage that David has shown during the uncertainty about his mother. Like Bauer's On My Honor, Thonkers makes compellingly real the tragedy that can result from youthful recklessness. Naylor's thoughtless boys are well-drawn, normal kids from warmly loving blue-collar families; Jimmy's Mom—whether wisely waiting for him to make his own peace with David or cleaning cupboards at one a.m. while she waits for news of her husband—is only one of the sharply sketched adult characters. It may take a booktalk to get fifth graders past the title here, but they'll love the book.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988
ISBN: 044040407X
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Wonderful, indeed
A love song to baby with delightful illustrations to boot.
Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart. The lines that read “This is the first time / There’s ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do” capture the essence of the picture book and are accompanied by a diverse group of babies and toddlers clad in downright adorable outfits. Other spreads include older kids, too, and pictures expand on the open text to visually interpret the myriad possibilities and hopes for the depicted children. For example, a spread reading “Will you learn how to fly / To find the best view?” shows a bespectacled, school-aged girl on a swing soaring through an empty white background. This is just one spread in which Martin’s fearless embrace of the white of the page serves her well. Throughout the book, she maintains a keen balance of layout choices, and surprising details—zebras on the wallpaper behind a father cradling his child, a rock-’n’-roll band of mice paralleling the children’s own band called “The Missing Teeth”—add visual interest and gentle humor. An ideal title for the baby-shower gift bag and for any nursery bookshelf or lap-sit storytime.
Wonderful, indeed . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
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