From Mayne (Pandora, 1996, etc.), the arch tale of two pigs in search of swine ambrosia—truffles. When Boark roots up a rich hoard of truffles, his mate Sowk hones in quickly on his treasure. Instead of gobbling them up immediately, the pigs put off gustatory pleasures and decide to take the mushrooms to market, and buy a coach with their earnings. On the road Sowk feels sympathy for the ``babbiest'' mushroom, and gobbles it down. Soon other truffles join the first in her belly, rather than pine away with loneliness for their relative. By the time Boark takes notice, only one big truffle remains. He assumes it (not Sowk) ate the others, so they sell it, to buy not a carriage, but a wheelbarrow. Sowk gets her ride home, and when the wheelbarrow breaks, she's perfectly happy to land in the mud. Boark never learns the truth, and croons, ``You are my Sowky, Sowk, Sowk, and all lovely with muddy, my true Lady Muck,'' as the story comes to a close. The illustrations mix softly colored scenes with robust and funny woodcuts that show the indulgent pigs' antics. But the heavily sentimental language (`` `Don't it please my Sowk, my Sowky dear, to eat a truffly from her hubby? Just one truffly?' `It please her dreadful,' said Sowk. `It please her from silk ear to scratch back' ''), though inventive, will turn off readers who have no sweet tooth for dialect. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-395-75281-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1997
Weary of hearing the same greeting day after day—``Good morning, my fine feathered friends!''—Professor Dupont's ten cockatoos fly the coop. He searches every room of his elaborate, old house without spotting them—but readers will, for they're all there, slightly concealed. Blake's illustrations are, as ever, funny and filled with lively detail; but while this doubles as a counting book, it's as airy and weightless as a feather. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-316-09951-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An introduction for young children, featuring large action photos in full color, an easy text, and an appended note for parents. Grosshandler describes and illustrates the (minimal) equipment needed, rules, field positions, ways to move the ball, penalties, and safety practices, then takes readers quickly through a game between two young, mixed teams. Like the author's Everyone Wins at Tee Ball (1990), this will give prospective players, and their parents, a good idea of what they're getting into. (Nonfiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-525-65064-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1991
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