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
BOOK REVIEW
An agreeable rhyming counting book with a baseball theme. The story opens on a little league field where the Blue Sox and the Stars face off: “Come play baseball/You could be a hero./The game’s starting score/is zero to zero.” The teams of boys and girls run up the numbers to 20, and baseball rules and lore are imparted painlessly: “When there’s a full count, we say, ‘Three and two.’/Five fingers up! His turn’s almost through.” A grand slam ends the game, with 19 ice cream cones and 20 baseball cards that give a clear and accurate summary of the main rules of the game. Shaw’s stocky acrylic-on-board figures have less zest than his beautifully rendered bats and balls, lush green field and blue sky, and a friendly, ice-cream-loving dog. Younger children whose radar may have picked up McGwire and Sosa, Piazza and Brosius will be ready for spring training after this one. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-88106-332-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
PLB 0-06-028017-4 paper 0-06-446728-7 This rambunctious introduction to visual patterns and sequences is a strong addition to the MathStart series. Carefully lining up his dozen blue, red, and yellow toy cars in an unstated but visible order, Kevin orders Molly to keep her hands off, which she does, at least until he leaves the room. Drawn by Molly’s ensuing honks and crashes, a mother, father, and a dog enter in succession, each one leaving the cars differently arranged. Can Molly replace them in their initial sequence before Kevin comes back? In fluid, energetic cartoons, Demarest makes it easy for children to help Molly solve her problem by giving each group of cars a bright color and distinctive shape, and Murphy appends suggestions for ways to continue the pattern-making with silverware, toys, and other household items. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-028016-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
