Mr. Manders and Edward James, a pair of bears who are father and son, have always wanted to be in a marching band. When they hear one coming down the lane, they run up to the attic and don a couple of splendid band uniforms that are conveniently stored there. Grabbing a bass drum and a toy trumpet they hurry off to join the band. Their difficulties in catching up to the band are punctuated by Edward James's pleas for his father to help him align the buttons and buttonholes on his small uniform so that they will be (as is required by a marching band) ``exactly right.'' Mr. Manders is too excited to pay any attention, but when the pair doze off under a tree during a rainstorm, mice get Edward James straightened out; later, Mr. Manders and Edward James triumphantly lead the parade. Cartwright brings resplendence to the page, trotting out bright red uniforms trimmed in gold braid; preschoolers will easily spot the source of Edward James's dismay. Isherwood's very forced, prolonged plot has an arbitrary feel, and while the child's preoccupation with his buttons is realistic, the father's single-minded pursuit, at his son's expense, appears unreasonable, and very nearly mean. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-09-176753-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Hutchinson/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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