An unconventional aunt blows in from Vancouver to pinch-hit as a babysitter, and offers two sisters and their brother an entrancing view of family history. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have nonrefundable tickets for a trip to Paris, but their babysitter has canceled on short notice. When all other options fail, mysterious Aunt Sally arrives to spend a week with ten-year-old Melissa, eight-year-old Amanda, and six-year-old Frank, unkindly referred to by his sisters as Pee Wee. With platform shoes that lace up to her knees, and eyes full of mischief, Aunt Sally is unlike anyone they’ve ever met, and has never been discussed by their father—her brother. Her stories are full of colorful characters, such as a beautiful man who coaxes one relative out of mourning; Mrs. Gunderson, the dog next door; and, of course, their father, Robbie, who was the baby of the family. The stories build on each other, made suspenseful by Aunt Sally’s maddening habit of leaving parts of them untold. Some of the stories are downright spooky, especially the ones about the trolls; Robbie was left on the beach with them one night and his and Sally’s relationship was never the same. Most sections are also hilarious, as is the snappy and perfectly timed dialogue. Melissa’s succinct definitions of entries in Aunt Sally’s large vocabulary provide a thread of humor throughout, as does Aunt Sally’s faithful regard for Pee Wee despite his dismissive older sisters. After the last laugh, Aunt Sally’s hard-won understanding of human nature will leave readers with plenty to ponder. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-374-37787-1
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
From Jennings (Faith and the Rocket Cat, 1998, etc.), a quirky tale of two grebes with very different characters. Last of his clutch to hatch, Putnam responds to his mother’s neglect by teaching himself to dive, feed and, after the rest of the family departs unnoticed, fly. Seeing the world as a scary, dangerous place, he dives into a strange pond and, pulled by a deep current into an underwater cave, makes no effort to find a way out. In fact, the cave is filled with grebes, all huddled on ledges, unspeaking. Into this lightless, cheerless place splashes chatty, social, adventuresome Pennyroyal Grebe who, despite her best efforts to get acquainted, is so determinedly shunned by all that she begins to pine away. Finally, Putnam breaks ranks to feed her, and then to look for escape. Presenting this as a tale told to a feisty, skeptical nine-year-old, Jennings insists that there’s no lesson here, although thoughtful readers, like the child, will see through that claim. His story-within-the-story ends with Pennyroyal gone and Putnam still nerving himself to follow, but the child supplies a happy ending. Readers expecting an animal adventure along the lines of Avi’s, or Dick King-Smith’s, will be underwhelmed by this chewy allegory. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-439-07965-9
Page Count: 163
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
Gentieu creates an engaging set of photographs for very young eyes. Every spread pairs a large full-color close-up of an infant and a phrase that has clearly recognizable echoes for adults: “Where are baby’s toes?” and “How big is baby?” On the facing page, superimposed against soft pastel backgrounds, are several smaller photographs of infants engaged in a relevant activity, e.g., “Clap hands baby!” appears with babies engaged in enthusiastic attempts at patty-cake. Clad in colorful diapers, these cherubs smile, frown, laugh, and frolic through the book, candidly expressing a wide range of emotions. The direct correlation between text and photos provide children with visual clues that reinforce their comprehension of basic words and phrases. (Picture book. 1-3)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-517-80028-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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