Fatima’s Sudanese village is caught between the ways of the past and the present in a story based on a true event in modern East Africa. Before the coming of the dry season, villagers have always stored water in baobob trees called water gourds, but now that a new pump has arrived, they’ve grown complacent and dismiss the old ways. Only Fatima’s grandmother thinks the villagers are foolish for putting their entire faith in this new technology and she follows the time-honored tradition of collecting water. She makes a trench around a baobob tree to collect rain, and with Fatima’s help, pours this water into its trunk bucket by bucket to be stored until needed. When the pump stops working, all of the villagers who have looked upon Fatima and her grandmother with disdain now realize they have judged too soon. Prayers of thanks are quickly said to them and to the tree for its gift of water. It becomes apparent as the grandmother says, “Maybe it’s wise to mix old with new.” Krudop’s lovely oil paintings, usually facing a page of longer-than-usual text, perfectly depict the village scene and its shimmering heat. His characters are portrayed with dabs of paint, yet their features and their personalities come through clearly. Gently making the case for respecting traditions, Kessler (No Condition Is Permanent, 1999, etc.) also teaches a bit about a country not often depicted in children’s picture books. (glossary, author’s note) (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-531-30284-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.
Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.
Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.
A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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