Tabu, a happy little baby, lives on the great plains of Africa with his parents. The mother works in the fields all day, father sleeps away the heat in the family hut (he is tired from carving toys for the baby, and from his hunting exploits), so perhaps it's not surprising when an elephant mother steals Tabu. The father fails to get Tabu back, but the resourceful mother spends an enchanted night with the elephants and brings her boy home safe and sound. Those with no sense of humor will be rankled by this tale, for it seems full of stereotypes, but it is actually one jolly ride through the African landscape. Gilbert's paintings are thick with forms sculpted from color and yet have an airiness that makes magic of the moment when elephants dance. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-525-45226-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
Ginny loves reading circle, but getting there is a bit of a challenge because only half the chairs are real. Figuring out which words to read is tough, too. See, “Ginny’s eyes [play] tricks”—she’s got double vision and doesn’t realize that’s unusual. “We read it just once,” says her teacher, and, “Don’t squint.” Lyon’s simple, declarative text effortlessly puts readers into Ginny’s head, and Avril’s whimsical mixed-media illustrations give them her eyes, overlaying one image slightly off its original in a satisfyingly disorienting fashion. A vision test at school is revelatory: “Do you know,” the nurse asks gently, “that most people see only one?” This small episode, taken from the author’s own experience, is much more than bibliotherapy, even though it covers Ginny’s remedial eye patch (hence the title). In single or double vision, Ginny simply glows. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: June 22, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5024-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Richard Jackson/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2010
A touching story of familial love and of respect and gratitude for the bounty of the land.
A magical intergenerational story of gifts and cultural rituals shared between a grandmother and her granddaughter.
A Tlingit grandmother takes her young granddaughter to a nearby island for a berry-picking adventure in the forest. To alert the forest bear and the various types of berries that glow “like little jewels” of their presence, the pair sing a harvest song: “Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry. Huckleberry, Soapberry, Strawberry, Crowberry.” Grandma teaches the girl that “we speak to the land…as the land speaks to us,” and “we sing too, so the land knows we are grateful.” As they gather berries in the misty rain, they listen to the sounds of insect wings, inhale the sweet scent of cedar, and feel the soft moss on tree branches. Back at home, “the kitchen glows like a summer sky” as the girl, her grandmother, her father, and her younger sister make syrup, marmalade, jelly, jam, pie, and scones to share. When winter comes, the forest is described as “dreaming, waiting for berry song.” Seasons change, marking the passage of time and leading to a bittersweet, full-circle ending. This beautifully written story by Caldecott medalist/debut author Goade features breathtaking, atmospheric artwork inspired by the wild landscape of her hometown, Sheet’ká, Alaska, and incorporates rich symbolism and imagery from Tlingit culture. A closing author’s note elucidates sacred Tlingit principles mentioned in the story, and dazzling endpapers identify different berry varieties. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A touching story of familial love and of respect and gratitude for the bounty of the land. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-49417-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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