When ``Old Man'' promises to make a musical instrument in honor of the creature with the most beautiful voice, Snake cheats: Jealous of Lark's song but unable to imitate it, he captures the bird in his throat. Though the voice now expresses anguish, the other animals are impressed by its beauty, and Old Man names Snake the winner. As promised, he does make an instrument that looks like Snake—a long, straight horn; but, meanwhile, Lark scratches Snake's throat so that, even after he lets her go, his voice is forever harsh—while the other animals, disgusted with his perfidy, refuse to speak to him. Czernecki illustrates this nicely balanced retelling of an Australian pourquoi tale with glowing illustrations in jewel-like tones, incorporating stylized aboriginal motifs in his striking, decorative designs. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 19, 1993
ISBN: 1-56282-399-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1993
Creative teachers, librarians and parents will be able to use this book to start a number of different conversations, but...
By focusing this visually stunning book on “dressing up” rather than on the broader topic of clothing, the authors enjoy the freedom of selecting striking photographs of children dressed in traditional clothing, theatrical costumes and masks and school and sports uniforms.
Engaging, sharp photos, including a Chinese boy dressed as an emperor on the cover, young Nepalese Buddhist monks, a Japanese girl dressed in a beautiful kimono and Israeli Hasidic boys inexplicably wearing red fezzes, appear on boldly colored backgrounds. The lack of contextualizing material begs questions: Are the Israeli boys dressed up for Purim, a Jewish holiday when everyone wears costumes? The Japanese girl is probably dressed for Shichi-go-san, a holiday when 3- and 7-year-old Japanese girls and 5-year-old Japanese boys dress in traditional clothing, but the text (limited to very general short sentences such as: “Around the world, we dress up to have fun! We dance and play…” and “Dressing up means celebrating who we are…”) doesn’t reveal any supporting information. Country names appear on the photos, and there is a world map. The backmatter suggests going to folk festivals and museums, questioning adults about clothing and culture and making simple costumes and masks.
Creative teachers, librarians and parents will be able to use this book to start a number of different conversations, but descriptions of the clothing and their special meanings (if only for adult users) would greatly increase this book’s value. (Informational photo essay. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58089-416-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
A solid introduction to soccer, carrying with it the sport’s openness to any and all.
Writer Taylor and photographer Vilela give a brisk nod to the international spirit and enjoyment of soccer.
Crisp photos of children playing the game in Spain, Tanzania, Iran, Pakistan and more make it clear that one of the great beauties of soccer is that all players need is a round object of approximately a certain size to play. It can be made of the latest composite material and pumped to a precise psi, or it can be a bunch of rags bound by twine. Little rivals the elemental pleasure of giving a round object a good, sharp kick; just look at the faces of all the kids captured by Vilela: They are, in a word, gleeful. While much of Taylor’s text is forgettable—“There’s nothing quite like the excitement before you start a game of soccer. Anything can happen!”—it does express the free-spirited, class-transcending joy of the game. The brief text is accompanied by a squib of information from a particular nation set as a boxed item: Togo fielded a 13-year-old in a World Cup qualifier, for instance. Far and away, Vilela’s photographs take center stage: They are full of action and neat slices of geography as well, with kids playing beside the megaliths of Stonehenge, stupas in Nepal and a refugee camp in Jordan.
A solid introduction to soccer, carrying with it the sport’s openness to any and all. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62779-123-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© 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.
