Intense, expressionistic illustrations give this spare tale of a Depression-era hobo and his daughter unusual depth of feeling. Riding the rails as late autumn turns to winter, searching for “someplace good,” the two pass through hobo jungles, soup kitchens, and a town jail. At last, a scratched hobo symbol for “kind lady” prompts them to stop at a house with a Christmas tree shining in its window. The lady there is kind indeed: “ ‘This is someplace good for you,’ ” says Poppa to the young narrator, promising to return as soon as he finds work. Christiana’s (The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat, p. 1120, etc.) art is quite astounding here, filling oversized pages with haunting images. Bleak blues and grays in the early spreads give way to warmer browns and reds as the holiday draws near, but the red-haired child remains downcast, surrounded by blocky, mottled backgrounds and insubstantial-looking figures—until the end, that is, when Poppa reappears, gifts in hand, just “before the first Christmas star came out.” A first-class heartwarmer, as poignant and joyful as Eve Bunting’s December (1997) or any of Cynthia Rylant’s holiday stories and made extra special by Christiana’s powerful illustrations. (author’s note) (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-590-98451-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2001
The leaves have changed, Thanksgiving nears—and the canny turkeys of Squawk Valley have decamped, leaving local residents to face the prospect of a birdless holiday. What to do? They decide to lure a bird back by appealing to its vanity, placing a want ad for a model to help sculptors creating turkey art, then “inviting” the bird to dinner. The ploy works, too, for out of the woods struts plump and perky Pete to take on the job. Shelly debuts with brightly hued cartoon scenes featuring pop-eyed country folk and deceptively silly-looking gobblers. Pete may be vain, but he hasn’t lost the wiliness of his wild ancestors; when the townsfolk come for him, he hides amidst a flock of sculpted gobblers—“There were turkeys made of spuds, / there were turkeys made of rope. / There were turkeys made of paper, / there were turkeys made of soap. / The room was full of turkeys / in a wall to wall collage. / For a clever bird like Pete / it was perfect camouflage.” He makes his escape, and is last seen lounging on a turkey-filled tropical beach as the disappointed Squawk Valleyites gather round the table for a main course of . . . shredded wheat. Good for a few giggles. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-890817-91-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2001
In a snowbound Swiss village, Matti figures it’s a good day to make a gingerbread man. He and his mother mix a batch of gingerbread and tuck it in the oven, but Matti is too impatient to wait ten minutes without peeking. When he opens the door, out pops a gingerbread baby, taunting the familiar refrain, “Catch me if you can.” The brash imp races all over the village, teasing animals and tweaking the noses of the citizenry, until there is a fair crowd on his heels intent on giving him a drubbing. Always he remains just out of reach as he races over the winterscape, beautifully rendered with elegant countryside and architectural details by Brett. All the while, Matti is busy back home, building a gingerbread house to entice the nervy cookie to safe harbor. It works, too, and Matti is able to spirit the gingerbread baby away from the mob. The mischief-maker may be a brat, but the gingerbread cookie is also the agent of good cheer, and Brett allows that spirit to run free on these pages. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23444-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
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