by Tracey Campbell Pearson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 19, 1999
A sprightly set of illustrations from the always inventive Pearson (The Purple Hat, 1997, etc.) offer hints on one of the biggest mysteries of the ages—Saint Nick’s summer job. Joe comes to town each spring to open up Joe’s Snack Bar, selling hot dogs, ice cream, and fries to an enthusiastic and varied summertime public. Every fall, he disappears, and folks wonder where he goes. Breaking into rhyme, the townspeople offer various scenarios: “ ‘He’s gone to the moon!’/cried tiny June,” or having tea with the queen, “whispered Molly McLeen” or off to the pyramids, “yelled all the Biddy kids.” Each spread is full of friendly colors and the wiggly details of people, places, and cats. Joe and his trademark food items appear in each, too, with nibbles tossed to the alligators in Okefenokee or the dolphins from a cruise ship. Joe returns, of course, the following spring, red-checked, round-bellied, and with a full white beard. Just in case readers still don’t know how he spends the winters, the last, wordless page offers a can’t-miss clue, and the reindeer like ice cream, too. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 19, 1999
ISBN: 0-374-38319-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1999
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by Consie Powell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999
From Powell (A Bold Carnivore, 1995) comes Gary Paulsen-like insight: Once a sled dog, always a sled dog, for although a Newfoundland named Cora is getting too old to pull, her owners can’t get the hearty dog to quit. Every Christmas the dogs help a mother, father, and Susan bring home a Christmas tree from the snowy woods. This year, Cora is not hitched up with the other two sled dogs in her bright red harness. She refuses to stay home, and follows the family into the forest. At first Cora gets underfoot; the family doesn’t understand what she is trying to do. But when the tree is selected, chopped down, and tied to the sled, Cora leads the other dogs—helping in spirit, if not in fact. Powell’s colorful woodcuts portray a crisp snow-filled north woods with deep blue shadows and green pines. The Yuletide setting is background dressing; the interactions of dogs and family predominate. An affectionate, unusual story. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8075-5968-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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by Anne Rockwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 30, 1999
PLB 0-06-028388-2 The Rockwells (Halloween Day, 1997, etc.) demystify a great American holiday for the preschool set. Among the mysteries revealed are why turkey is always on the menu along with cranberry sauce and corn bread. In simple, straightforward language, the author relates the history of the first Thanksgiving through the eyes of a preschooler. Students in Mrs. Madoff’s class enact a play about the events surrounding the first gathering; every character recites a piece of Thanksgiving lore while describing the things for which one can be grateful. Throughout the book, the generosity and goodwill among the Pilgrims and Wampanoag is underscored, providing a stellar example of how two disparate groups achieved a mutual goal of survival. The beguiling illustrations feature doe-eyed children and include several historical “snap shots” depicting events from the time of the first Thanksgiving. An agreeable, unbiased explanation of a cherished day. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-027795-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
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