The Stanley family we all remember from Snyder's highly successful The Headless Cupid (1971) gets a year in Italy when stepmother Molly's expatriate uncle leaves her money that has to be spent there. Molly's 13-year-old daughter Amanda, just a little better adjusted to the new family arrangement than she was in her poltergeist days, continues to brag about her rich father; and as a result all five children are kidnapped though the culprits had only bargained for Amanda. She is despondent, sure that her father won't bother to rescue her, and the others are fearful that he won't be able to come up with the million-dollar ransom. When they hear that he is in Italy but can't raise the million, David, the oldest Stanley, is really worried, but Amanda, with this evidence of her father's concern, comes to life. Much of the story takes place in the kids' basement prison, where seven-year-old, bilingual Janle (the family genius) interprets for the masked kidnappers, guesses their identity, and—with a view to being so cute their captors can't possibly kill them—gets up a hilarious performance with herself acting out Juliet's death scene and the four-year-old twins following with the Mickey Mouse Club song. For their part David and Amanda stage a miracle, which does have the kidnappers wondering; but in the end it's Janie who saves them all. A lively, likable family adventure, a bit slow to hit its stride and not as ingenious as The Headless Cupid, but still crackling with the Stanley family's distinctive charm and energy.
Pub Date: Oct. 19, 1979
ISBN: 0440424852
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1979
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set.
If it’s 2018, then the kids must be coding.
This bright and cheery picture book introduces young readers to coding concepts through garden planting and backyard play. Two girls named Adi and Gabi learn about if/then statements through naturally occurring conditions and outcomes, such as: “If the weather is dry, then they water the plants.” Karanja touches lightly on what happens when the computer is not given the right instructions with a Simon Says–like game and progresses to a playful explanation of debugging. Exercises help readers test their understanding, and a glossary explains the computer science terms. While the author’s approach is simple and easy to understand, it seems like an odd choice to start with conditional statements without mentioning more basic concepts such as breaking down big tasks into smaller steps, sequencing instructions, etc. The treatment of conditionals is itself incomplete since “else” statements are never mentioned. And without the scaffolding of a real problem that needs solving, the concepts carry little weight. Adi and her mother are brown-skinned with dark curls, while Gabi has lighter skin and straight hair.
An accessible but somewhat underdeveloped introduction to coding for the younger set. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5158-3445-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Picture Window Books
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name.
A brief rhyming board book for toddlers.
Spurr's earlier board books (In the Garden and At the Beach, both 2012; In the Woods, 2013) featured an adventuresome little boy. Her new slice-of-life story stars an equally joyful little girl who takes pleasure in flying a new kite while not venturing far off the walkway. Oliphant's expressive and light-filled watercolors clearly depict the child's emotions—eager excitement on the way to the park, delight at the kite's flight in the wind, shock when the kite breaks free, dejection, and finally relief and amazement. The rhymes work, though uneven syllable counts in some stanzas interrupt the smooth flow of the verse. The illustrations depict the child with her mass of windblown curls, brown skin, and pronounced facial features as African-American. Her guardian (presumably her mother) is also brown-skinned. It is refreshing to see an African-American family settled comfortably in a suburban setting with single-family homes and a park where the family dog does not need to be leashed.
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-854-7
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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