Borreguita is a little lamb who manages to trick the coyote who wants to eat her not just three but four deliciously satisfying times: she suggests that she'll grow if he waits; she describes the moon's reflection as a cheese, so that he jumps into a pond; she cajoles him into taking her place ``hold[ing] up this mountain'' while she goes for help; and, finally, she bravely volunteers to jump right into the coyote's mouth so that he can swallow her in one gulp—with the result that poor Coyote, his teeth aching, vows to leave the wily lamb alone henceforth. Aardema, a practiced teller of tales, paces this saga expertly and tells it with pleasingly sly wit. Mathers contributes her exquisite sense of design and luminous color, while focusing on the story's drama and humor and the contrast between the innocent-looking lamb and her obtuse antagonist. A fine story; outstanding illustrations. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-9)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-679-80921-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a winning celebration of the many loving circles of relationships in an extended family, newcomer Zamorano and veteran Vivas have collaborated on a snapshot of two weeks in the lives of a large Spanish clan. Antonio, the narrator, is the smallest, and ``Mam† is the biggest. She is going to have a baby any day now.'' Every day at two o'clock, the family gathers at the big wooden table in the kitchen for a meal: ``When we are all at the table Mam† is happy.'' On Monday, one of the seven chairs is empty because Pap† must work. ``Ay, quÇ pena,'' sighs their mother. ``What a pity.'' A different person is absent each subsequent day. On Saturday, the missing person is Mam†, who has gone to the hospital to have a baby girl. It is Antonio's turn to sigh at the empty chair: ``Ay, quÇ pena!'' Two weeks later they're all together again, and Mam† sighs, ``QuÇ maravilla! How wonderful that everyone is eating together!'' Set in the author's native Spain, there is an effortless use of Spanish words and phrases (a glossary is included) throughout this enveloping and big-hearted book. Vivas's handsome, stylized watercolors make use of rounded forms- -bowls, table, Mama's belly, and, finally, the small head of Rosa, the new baby—to convey the warmth of the family circle. QuÇ maravilla, indeed. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-590-13444-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1997
The Myerses—father and son—reunite for a poetic celebration of self that blends a sort of Whitman-esque hip-hop with ’70s-vibe visuals. Adapting the cumulative cadences of Bill Martin’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Walter Dean Myers’s text immediately establishes a preeminent self-affirmation: “I looked in the mirror / And what did I see? / A real handsome dude looking just like me.” Narrator Jeremy hears from a succession of family, neighbors and community members and adds role after role to his portfolio. He’s a brother, son, writer, city kid, artist, dancer, talker, runner, dreamer: “Looked in the mirror— / I look like a crowd.” Christopher Myers overlays eclectic photo collages with stylized, silhouetted figures in saturated hues of chartreuse, butternut, chocolate, magenta and more. The text’s two upper-case typefaces look like gritty, spray-painted stencils and whimsical woodcuts. There’s a touch of call-and-response in the refrain (“He put out his fist. / I gave it a BAM!”) that begs to be read aloud. This vibrant synthesis of poetry and pictures is a natural for classrooms and family sharing. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60684-001-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Egmont USA
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2009
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