In an echo of The Old Woman and Her Pig, an African village market is the scene of several purchases and subsequent rounds of barter initiated by a young girl and her friend. Luzolo has a five-franc coin to spend on market day. Her father cautions her not to buy the first thing she sees: “Look around, choose what you really want, and then bargain for a fair price.” Her mother adds, “no one gets something for nothing on market day.” Luzolo and her friend, Kiese share what they each purchase and then hear that a monkey is for sale, obviously a disturbing discovery. They set off to trade throughout the market, until they can get the monkey away from its captor. Eventually, the beans and rice they barter for their bracelets and nail polish trade for a very nice basket, that trades for four tin cups that trade for embroidery, and that, finally, for the water pot the monkey seller wants. The girls take the monkey and head for the jungle, where they immediately release him and admonish, “Next time, stay away from Mama Lusufu!” The story ends, “But the monkey didn’t listen.” The illustrations—etched and hand-painted Chine collé on mulberry paper—do little to extend the text, lacking the vibrancy and vitality of an African market filled with foods, fabrics, and goods. There’s no hint of what the characters have in mind to do once they obtain the monkey, other than that sense of unhappiness when they hear it’s in captivity, so that comes as a nice surprise. The author does relate the interconnection within a community and the ripples created by trading what one has for what one wants. The observant young reader will detect and enjoy the circular story of trading among the villagers and the inevitable return of the monkey. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2002
ISBN: 0-374-35017-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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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