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BY A BLAZING BLUE SEA

Name: BY A BLAZING BLUE SEA
Author: S.T. Garne
ISBN: 0-15-201780-1

by S.T. Garne ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1999

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Garne’s idyll by the sea makes a sensible, though backhanded point on the dignity of work and of stepping lightly upon the earth. In a sleepy rhyming text, readers fly on the wings of a parrot to a secluded Caribbean beach. There lives a fisherman, who spends his days in a humble, productive fashion; he is up long before dawn to fish, schedules a midday snooze under the palms, takes care of chores, and enjoys the dulcet companionship of a cat and a parrot. It is all so peaceful and tuned to the music of the spheres that it comes as a jolt when Garne states flatly: “Some think the old man/Is a poor simple fool—/No power, no money/No people to rule.” Few children think that way (the hard-working peasants of fairy tales tend to be the happy ones) so they’ll accept the conclusion, that the fisherman is content. It’s a point that can be inferred from most lines of text, especially the early ones, as well as from every painting. In vivid colors, Lohstoeter’s artwork captures the best qualities of both the Caribbean seascapes and the old-soul image of the man in his shanty on a strand out of time. (Picture book. 4-9)

Pub Date: May 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-15-201780-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
ONE WHITE SAIL
by S.T. Garne & illustrated by Lisa Etre

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MONSTER MATH

by Anne Miranda & illustrated by Anne Miranda ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1999

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Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-15-201835-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
TANGLED
by Anne Miranda ; illustrated by Eric Comstock

- BOOK REVIEW
VROOM, CHUGGA, VROOM-VROOM
by Anne Miranda & illustrated by David Murphy

- BOOK REVIEW
TO MARKET, TO MARKET
by Anne Miranda & illustrated by Janet Stevens

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QUACK AND COUNT

by Keith Baker & illustrated by Keith Baker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1999

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Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)