by Wolfram Hänel & illustrated by Alan Marks & translated by Rosemary Lanning ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1996
Abby ($13.95; PLB $13.88; Oct. 15, 1996; 1-55858-648-2; PLB 1-55858-649-0): Moira lives on an island off the coast of Ireland with her family and her dog, Abby. HÑnel (Mia the Beach Cat, 1994, etc.) spends about half the book setting up Moira's life on this rural, remote island of fishermen and farmers. The second half tells of Abby's near-fatal experience of and recovery from eating poisoned meat left out for a fox. This gentle, delicate story begins slowly and so generally that new readers will have no idea where it's going. The story of Abby's illness is told straightforwardly and without sentimentality or false suspense, a style that suits the island setting and its inhabitants. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations match the mood, introducing humor that's especially welcome during the sorrowful parts. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1996
ISBN: 1-55858-648-2
Page Count: 62
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1996
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by David Shannon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999
The poster boy for relentless mischief-makers everywhere, first encountered in No, David! (1998), gives his weary mother a rest by going to school. Naturally, he’s tardy, and that’s but the first in a long string of offenses—“Sit down, David! Keep your hands to yourself! PAY ATTENTION!”—that culminates in an afterschool stint. Children will, of course, recognize every line of the text and every one of David’s moves, and although he doesn’t exhibit the larger- than-life quality that made him a tall-tale anti-hero in his first appearance, his round-headed, gap-toothed enthusiasm is still endearing. For all his disruptive behavior, he shows not a trace of malice, and it’ll be easy for readers to want to encourage his further exploits. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48087-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
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by Joy Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1999
Bishop’s spectacular photographs of the tiny red-eyed tree frog defeat an incidental text from Cowley (Singing Down the Rain, 1997, etc.). The frog, only two inches long, is enormous in this title; it appears along with other nocturnal residents of the rain forests of Central America, including the iguana, ant, katydid, caterpillar, and moth. In a final section, Cowley explains how small the frog is and aspects of its life cycle. The main text, however, is an afterthought to dramatic events in the photos, e.g., “But the red-eyed tree frog has been asleep all day. It wakes up hungry. What will it eat? Here is an iguana. Frogs do not eat iguanas.” Accompanying an astonishing photograph of the tree frog leaping away from a boa snake are three lines (“The snake flicks its tongue. It tastes frog in the air. Look out, frog!”) that neither advance nor complement the action. The layout employs pale and deep green pages and typeface, and large jewel-like photographs in which green and red dominate. The combination of such visually sophisticated pages and simplistic captions make this a top-heavy, unsatisfying title. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-87175-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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