Burnie taps the elegance of architectural cutaways and the stunning nature of enduring monuments to create 11 maze challenges. The pathway through a Manhattan skyscraper is a combination of girders and guard dogs; a warren of garden plots and rude gardeners try to thwart a traveler on China’s Great Wall; and construction scaffolding around the Sphinx provides an escape route for a slave. Among the other venues are the Eiffel Tower, a Roman arena, a Moghul temple, Florence Nightingale’s hospital, a flooded Venetian piazza, Christopher Columbus’s Spanish port, and an icy river blocking Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. The handsome and arresting line drawings are delicately tinted and richly atmospheric, filling each two-page spread completely. One problem is the pinch of the book’s binding interfering with the formal maze found in the Loire chateau; another is the difficulty in keeping track of the paths—while some onlookers wouldn’t dream of marking up so lovely a book, others will be tempted to make their journeys through the mazes permanent. Solutions are provided, as are brief descriptive passages of the locales. (Picture book. 7-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-375-80155-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
This vibrant, thoughtful book from Katz (Over the Moon, 1997) continues her tribute to her adopted daughter, Lena, born in Guatemala. Lena is “seven. I am the color of cinnamon. Mom says she could eat me up”; she learns during a painting lesson that to get the color brown, she will have to “mix red, yellow, black, and white paints.” They go for a walk to observe the many shades of brown: they see Sonia, who is the color of creamy peanut butter; Isabella, who is chocolate brown; Lucy, both peachy and tan; Jo-Jin, the color of honey; Kyle, “like leaves in fall”; Mr. Pellegrino, the color of pizza crust, golden brown. Lena realizes that every shade is beautiful, then mixes her paints accordingly for portraits of her friends—“The colors of us!” Bold illustrations celebrate diversity with a child’s open-hearted sensibility and a mother’s love. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5864-8
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
A sentimental tale overwhelmed by busy illustrations and rampant pedantry. A gifted quiltmaker who makes outstanding quilts never sells her wares, but gives them away to the poor. A greedy king so loves presents that he has two birthdays a year, and commands everyone in the kingdom to give him gifts. Everyone brings presents till the castle overflows; the king, still unhappy, locates the quiltmaker and directs her to make him a quilt. When she refuses he tries to feed her to a hungry bear, then to leave her on a tiny island, but each time the quiltmaker’s kindness results in her rescue. At last, the king agrees to a bargain; he will give away his many things, and the quiltmaker will sew him a quilt. He is soon poor, but happier than he’s ever been, and she fulfills her end of the bargain; they remain partners forever after, with her sewing the quilts and him giving them away. The illustrations are elaborate, filled with clues to quilt names. A note points to the 250 different quilt names hidden in the picture on the inside of the book jacket. (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-57025-199-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
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