In propulsive rhymed couplets, Burleigh (Hercules, 1999, etc.) tells a day in the life of a bicycle messenger in a city inspired by Chicago. “Sun, wind, rain, snow / Messenger, messenger, gotta go.” And go he does, the wiry, bearded young Calvin Curbhopper, the color of caramel. He carries his bike downstairs, rides it over the bridge and through the city, from an early morning delivery to a nighttime view from the 95th floor. His cell phone keeps him in touch as he moves from office building (note the firm of Stolzfus, King, Yoder, and Zook) to the dark side of town (the sign says “Busy: please go away”). He eats his lunch on the run and waves to his buddies as he zips by. The gouache paintings use yellow as a leitmotif: for sunlight, for building stone, for city illumination. The images are bookended by Calvin’s studio apartment: with its futon bed, take-out containers (the stove is piled high with books), and retro turntable. We catch a glimpse of Calvin’s endearingly urban life along with his bongos, his cat, and his tea mug. Children will accept and appreciate the rhythm of a life they glimpse every day. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-689-82103-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Part of a spate of books intent on bringing the garbage collectors in children’s lives a little closer, this almost matches...
Listeners will quickly take up the percussive chorus—“Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy town! Is the trash truck full yet? NO”—as they follow burly Mr. Gilly, the garbage collector, on his rounds from park to pizza parlor and beyond.
Flinging cans and baskets around with ease, Mr. Gilly dances happily through streetscapes depicted with loud colors and large, blocky shapes; after a climactic visit to the dump, he roars home for a sudsy bath.
Part of a spate of books intent on bringing the garbage collectors in children’s lives a little closer, this almost matches Eve Merriam’s Bam Bam Bam (1995), also illustrated by Yaccarino, for sheer verbal and visual volume. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-027139-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
Kids will come for the construction vehicles and leave with some social-emotional skills.
Anthropomorphic trucks and construction vehicles work through big feelings.
“I’m Cranky,” announces a yellow crane—that’s our protagonist’s name and state of mind. It’s a big day at the construction site; everyone’s completing work on the construction of a new bridge. Friends like Zippy the cement mixer and Wheezy the forklift encourage Cranky to cheer up. But their positivity only makes Cranky feel worse. Cranky eats alone at lunch and feels increasingly isolated as the day goes on. When Zippy and Wheezy express concern, Cranky suddenly becomes even more upset: “Asking me what’s wrong makes me feel like it’s not okay for me to be cranky!” The others back off, and slowly, the grouchy crane’s mood starts to improve. And the friends are right there when Cranky is ready to open up. Bright colors, adorably anthropomorphic vehicles, and layouts that alternate between vignettes and full-page spreads will hold readers’ attention through what is a mostly introspective narrative. Tran imparts some solid messages, such as the importance of giving pals the space they need and communicating your needs, even if you choose not to share everything. Some of the nuance will be lost on younger readers, but the story will spark conversations with others. Construction puns such as “self-of-steam” should get some chuckles from older kids and adults.
Kids will come for the construction vehicles and leave with some social-emotional skills. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780063256286
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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