For all its brevity, this sailor’s yarn, possibly 4,000 years old, positively vibrates with wonder, danger, joy, and deeper meaning. Sole survivor of a sudden catastrophe, a sailor washes up on an island paradise—which, he soon discovers, he shares with a gigantic serpent, 30 cubits long and covered with scales of gold and lapis lazuli. The serpent, declaring himself the Prince of Punt and the last living member of a once-large family, welcomes the sailor to the “Island of the Soul,” promising him that he will be reunited with his wife and children, and that although the lovely island will disappear when he leaves, he will always carry it with him. Bower, trained in the Egyptian Departments of two major art museums, not only illustrates the tale with expertly stylized scenes based on New Kingdom temple and tomb murals, but repeats important lines in hieroglyphics, paired to literal translations, and appends incisive notes on her sources and symbology. Budding Egyptologists as well as lovers of well-told, multi-layered folktales will treasure this outstanding debut. (bibliography, map) (Picture book/folktale. 7-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-689-83046-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2000
Categories: CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Antics both instructive and embarrassing ensue after a mysterious package left on their doorstep brings a Founding Father into the lives of two modern children.
Summoned somehow by what looks for all the world like an old-time crystal radio set, Ben Franklin turns out to be an amiable sort. He is immediately taken in hand by 7-year-old Olive for a tour of modern wonders—early versions of which many, from electrical appliances in the kitchen to the Illinois town’s public library and fire department, he justly lays claim to inventing. Meanwhile big brother Nolan, 10, tags along, frantic to return him to his own era before either their divorced mom or snoopy classmate Tommy Tuttle sees him. Fleming, author of Ben Franklin’s Almanac (2003) (and also, not uncoincidentally considering the final scene of this outing, Our Eleanor, 2005), mixes history with humor as the great man dispenses aphorisms and reminiscences through diverse misadventures, all of which end well, before vanishing at last. Following a closing, sequel-cueing kicker (see above) she then separates facts from fancies in closing notes, with print and online leads to more of the former. To go with spot illustrations of the evidently all-white cast throughout the narrative, Fearing incorporates change-of-pace sets of sequential panels for Franklin’s biographical and scientific anecdotes. Final illustrations not seen.
It’s not the first time old Ben has paid our times a call, but it’s funny and free-spirited, with an informational load that adds flavor without weight. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 9-11)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-93406-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stowing away with French Canadian fur traders in 1792, a loquacious red squirrel embarks on a life-changing adventure.
Each spring, Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, a squirrel with wanderlust, watches brave, strong voyageurs depart in canoes from Montreal and return the following autumn. Determined to be a voyageur, Le Rouge hides in a canoe paddled by eight stout voyageurs, part of a brigade of five. Soon his incessant chattering distracts the voyageurs, who become separated from the rest of the brigade, but, after ascending the highest tree, he points the crew back on course. More than once, pesky Le Rouge barely escapes becoming squirrel ragout. He’s just beginning to feel like a real voyageur when they reach the trading post on Lake Superior, where he discovers the voyageurs exchanging their cargo for animal skins to return to Montreal. Heartsick, Le Rouge decides he cannot be a voyageur if it involves trading animal skins, unless he can change things. Le Rouge relates his story with drama and flair, presenting a colorful prism through which to view the daily life of a voyageur. Peppered with historical facts and (italicized) French phrases and names, this exciting, well-documented tale (with a contemporary animal-rights subtext) proves educational and entertaining. Realistic pencil drawings highlight Le Rouge’s memorable journey.
A rousing introduction to the life of a voyageur told from a unique perspective. (map, pronunciation guide, historical and biological notes, recipe, further reading) (Historical fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4247-8
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
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