Ten folktales, many based on Lafcadio Hearn's collections, chosen (according to the introduction) to give readers a walk in the ``moonlight of imagination'' and show the ``haunting beauty'' of Japan's Shinto and Buddhist-influenced tradition. Each tale is introduced by a brief poem and a delicate black-and-white watercolor, and accompanied by a full-page color painting. Stories like ``Green Willow,'' about a man who falls in love with a tree spirit, and ``The Boy Who Drew Cats,'' about a young artist with an unusual talent, are infused with a gentle magic. Many involve ghosts or other invisible beings, but none are frightening, although ``Snow Woman'' and ``Black Hair'' may bring a chill. This lyrically written collection is a wondrous introduction to tales that may be unfamiliar to many children. They have a very different feel than the works of the Grimms or Andersen—a misty serenity enhanced by the evocative paintings. Martin (with Manuela Soares, One Hand Clapping, 1995, etc.) offers informative notes at the end that bring readers back to earth after a collection that provides something of an otherworldly experience. (notes, bibliography) (Short stories/folklore. 8+)
Pub Date: March 19, 1996
ISBN: 0-399-22677-X
Page Count: 74
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1996
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Donavan's friends collect buttons and marbles, but he collects words. ``NUTRITION,'' ``BALLYHOO,'' ``ABRACADABRA''—these and other words are safely stored on slips of paper in a jar. As it fills, Donavan sees a storage problem developing and, after soliciting advice from his teacher and family, solves it himself: Visiting his grandma at a senior citizens' apartment house, he settles a tenants' argument by pulling the word ``COMPROMISE'' from his jar and, feeling ``as if the sun had come out inside him,'' discovers the satisfaction of giving his words away. Appealingly detailed b&w illustrations depict Donavan and his grandma as African-Americans. This Baltimore librarian's first book is sure to whet readers' appetites for words, and may even start them on their own savory collections. (Fiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: June 30, 1994
ISBN: 0-06-020190-8
Page Count: 72
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
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