Imagining a dragon in the steam behind his mother (``Ma''), a young Vietnamese hurls a ball at it, accidentally breaking a precious heirloom teapot that his family believes embodies their good luck. Sadly, Ma gathers the pieces; ``Ba'' (father) thunders, ``Now our first winter in America will surely be a monster!'' Little Hoang tries to make amends; and since neither honey nor glue holds the broken pot together, he paints another, shabby teapot in imitation of the lost treasure, winning a smile from Ma. This earnest attempt to introduce Vietnamese culture is prefaced by a long note, addressed to adults or older children, about the animistic beliefs the story depicts. But though the narrative is gentle and appealing, the family's responses are inexplicable without this background, which is likely to be beyond the picture book audience. Moreover, the story is, at best, ambivalent about the depth and validity of the beliefs portrayed. Meanwhile, Frankel debuts with impressionistic illustrations that, while observed with sympathy and executed with skill, are too dark and vague to appeal to most children. A flawed effort. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-395-57031-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1992
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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