DEAR SANTA, PLEASE COME TO THE 19TH FLOOR

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DEAR SANTA, PLEASE COME TO THE 19TH FLOOR

Name: DEAR SANTA, PLEASE COME TO THE 19TH FLOOR
Author: Yin
ISBN: 0-399-23636-8

by Yin & illustrated by Chris Soentpiet ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002

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Yin and Soentpiet collaborate for the second time (Coolies, 2001) with this long first-person story narrated by a Hispanic boy named Willy. His best friend, Carlos, is in a wheelchair due to an unspecified accident, and they both live in a New York City high-rise apartment building in a neighborhood that Willy calls “scary and rough.” Willy sends Santa an e-mail asking for a gift for Carlos, and Carlos does the same for Willy. On Christmas Eve, Santa arrives in the street outside and, after a long climb up 19 flights of stairs, shedding his garb along the way, gives Carlos a basketball (even though he can’t use it in his wheelchair) and Willy a telescope. The basketball and Santa’s visit are supposed to give the boys hope, and perhaps they shall, though it’s a stretch. Soentpiet’s realistic watercolor illustrations give each character an individual personality, and Santa seems quite real, especially when he arrives in the street, as he struggles to make it up the stairs with his pack of heavy gifts, and in the cover illustration as he looks at his computer screen. Though the overall story is a touch sentimental, its realistic urban setting, not seen enough in picture books, will help it find its audience. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002

ISBN: 0-399-23636-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
BROTHERS
by Yin & illustrated by Chris Soentpiet

- BOOK REVIEW
COOLIES
by Yin & illustrated by Chris K. Soentiept

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MONSTER MATH

by Anne Miranda & illustrated by Anne Miranda ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1999

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Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-15-201835-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
TANGLED
by Anne Miranda ; illustrated by Eric Comstock

- BOOK REVIEW
VROOM, CHUGGA, VROOM-VROOM
by Anne Miranda & illustrated by David Murphy

- BOOK REVIEW
TO MARKET, TO MARKET
by Anne Miranda & illustrated by Janet Stevens

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A PLUMP AND PERKY TURKEY

by Teresa Bateman & illustrated by Jeff Shelly ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2001

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The leaves have changed, Thanksgiving nears—and the canny turkeys of Squawk Valley have decamped, leaving local residents to face the prospect of a birdless holiday. What to do? They decide to lure a bird back by appealing to its vanity, placing a want ad for a model to help sculptors creating turkey art, then “inviting” the bird to dinner. The ploy works, too, for out of the woods struts plump and perky Pete to take on the job. Shelly debuts with brightly hued cartoon scenes featuring pop-eyed country folk and deceptively silly-looking gobblers. Pete may be vain, but he hasn’t lost the wiliness of his wild ancestors; when the townsfolk come for him, he hides amidst a flock of sculpted gobblers—“There were turkeys made of spuds, / there were turkeys made of rope. / There were turkeys made of paper, / there were turkeys made of soap. / The room was full of turkeys / in a wall to wall collage. / For a clever bird like Pete / it was perfect camouflage.” He makes his escape, and is last seen lounging on a turkey-filled tropical beach as the disappointed Squawk Valleyites gather round the table for a main course of . . . shredded wheat. Good for a few giggles. (Picture book. 6-8)