Rosa-Casanova's first book is a terrific blend of a cumulative tale, a cook's tour of ethnic cuisine—a genuine sense of apartment life, and an unforced display of affection. Mama Provi lives on the ground floor of a city building; her granddaughter Lucy lives on the eighth floor. When Lucy gets the chicken pox, Mama Provi whips up a big batch of arroz con pollo (Mama, in a family of twelve, is hardwired to cook in great quantities) and sets out to scale the apartment stairs. On each floor, as she catches her breath, Mama Provi smells something delicious—fresh bread, frijoles negros, collard greens, an apple pie—and trades a bowl of rice for a portion of each, as well as some salad and tea. By the time she gets to Lucy, a fine feast has been hunted and gathered in a story with elegant forward energy and well-paced repetitions. Roth's watercolor-and-ink illustrations have all the eccentricity the tale deserves, and superbly conjure the special life that goes on in the hallways and stairs of apartment buildings. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-689-31932-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1997
Emotionally stunning.
A young girl misses her urban home by the sea but soon discovers an unlikely friend who helps her to adjust.
After Katherena and her mom settle into their new rural home, Katherena visits the neighboring house and meets aging neighbor Agnes, an artist who works in clay. The seasons flow one into another. Katherena draws what she sees and grows ever closer to Agnes. Agnes tells Katherena about her art and about rural life; Katherena shares Cree words with Agnes. By the time it is fall, she’s helping Agnes in her garden. However, by winter, Agnes has become too weak to be outside much. Katherena and her mother make a salmon stew that Katherena takes over for Agnes and her daughter to enjoy. When spring returns again, Agnes continues to weaken, but Katherena has a plan to help her friend enjoy spring without going outside. Flett’s simple story explores the difficulties of moving but also shows young readers how new friends can sometimes ease them; that this friendship is an intergenerational one between fellow artists is an especially sweet touch. Flett (Cree/Métis) employs her characteristically minimalist style, placing Katherena against flat expanses of greensward that changes with the seasons, birds wheeling above in silhouette. Katherena and her mom both have brown skin and straight, black hair; Agnes has brown skin as well, but she does not speak Cree.
Emotionally stunning. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77164-473-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
What makes the best story? That’s the question Anne finds herself asking her family when she sets out to win a writing contest but discovers that “this writing stuff [is] hard and lonely.” In turns, her brother tells her to put in lots of action, her father advises comedy, her aunt instructs her to make it sad and her cousin says that “if it’s not romantic it’s a loser.” Anne revises her tale to adapt each time, resulting in a hodgepodge of rogue plot elements. Wilsdorf’s gleeful cartoons make the most of their opportunities: A monkey weeps at the funeral of his pet goldfish in one iteration, then dances at his wedding to the pirate’s sister in the next. What’s a budding author to do? With a little sound counsel from her mother, Anne writes what she knows, from her heart. “Maybe I’ll win … and maybe I won’t. Either way, I’ll be happy…. Because the story I wrote is my own.… And that makes it the best.” (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3055-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2008
© 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.
