Could it be that the grass really is greener on the other side of the porch? The wolf dearly loves his cozy screened-in sanctuary, but a seed of doubt planted by his friend, a bird who has seen more of the world, leads him to sell his house, pack his bags, and go searching for an even more idyllic spot. Humorous drawings capture the wolf’s expressive reactions to his disappointing experiences, along with his frustration and wistfulness when he discovers that he can’t go home; the rabbits love his old house too much to sell it back, even at twice the price. Several misunderstandings ensue before the wolf finds a perfect perch, and a way to make amends with his neighbors. Meddaugh (Martha Walks the Dog, 1998, etc.) tells a funny tale, with lesson that even young listeners will appreciate; the story’s surprising twists and unpredictable outcome will make children turn to this one again. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-97994-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1999
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Newcomer Santoro’s story of the ice cream truck that pined for a more important role in life suffers from a premise that’s well-worn and still fraying—the person or object that longs to be something “more” in life, only to find out that his or its lot in life is enough, after all. Isaac the ice cream truck envies all the bigger, larger, more important vehicles he encounters (the big wheels are depicted as a rude lot, sullen, surly, and snarling, hardly a group to excite much envy) in a day, most of all the fire trucks and their worthy occupants. When Isaac gets that predictable boost to his self-image—he serves up ice cream to over-heated firefighters after a big blaze—it comes as an unmistakable putdown to the picture-book audience: the children who cherished Isaac—“They would gather around him, laughing and happy”—weren’t reason enough for him to be contented. Santoro equips the tale with a tune of Isaac’s very own, and retro scenes in tropical-hued colored pencil that deftly convey the speed of the trucks with skating, skewed angles. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5296-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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Pauline (32 pp.; $16.00; Oct. 5; 0-374-35758-7) The illustrator of Kate Banks’s many books (The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle, p. 62, etc,) goes solo for a tale that proves children’s suspicion that bigger isn’t always better. Pauline, a fuzzy-eared weasel, is an unlikely heroine, but her courage and dramatic talents combine to save her best friend Rabusius the elephant, trapped by hunters. The thick bold lines and lush colors of the illustrations infuse the story with an excitement and immediacy that will appeal to preschoolers. The spreads are presented from a weasel’s-eye-view are particularly captivating and reinforce Pauline’s small stature and mighty impact. (Picture book. 3-6.)
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 1999
ISBN: 0-374-35758-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1999
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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