The young protagonist of Bye, Mis’ Lela (1998) returns, faced this time with a scary mission. Her daddy is working in far- off New York City, so Sugar Plum must run through the dark woods for the midwife when her mother goes into labor. Anxious and reluctant, unsure of what is happening to Mama, Sugar Plum nonetheless screws up her courage, then races down a “moon- bright road,” crawls over a rickety bridge, and delivers her message. Illuminated with intense blues and greens, the shadows themselves glow in Stevenson’s vibrant paintings; solid, sturdy human figures move through scenes in which every surface seems to shimmer with color. The next morning, Sugar Plum bounds confidently home and finds herself with a new baby brother. Her mother tells Sugar Plum that she’s old enough to be called from now on by her real name, Wilhe’mina. Although in several respects this is reminiscent of Bill Martin’s The Ghost Eye Tree (1985), Carter’s story features not only a more important errand but more fully developed characters. In a final wordless scene, the father is reunited with his family, contributing further to the satisfying conclusion. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 31, 1999
ISBN: 0-374-33551-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79899-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
PLB 0-517-70967-8 Me And My Family Tree (32 pp.; $13.00; PLB $14.99; May; 0-517-70966-X; PLB 0-517-70967-8): For children who are naturally curious about the people who care for them (most make inquiries into family relationships at an early age), Sweeney explains, with the assistance of a young narrator, the concept of a family tree. Photographs become understandable once the young girl learns the relationships among family members; she wonders what her own family tree will look like when she marries and has children. A larger message comes at the end of this story: not only does she have a family tree, but so does everyone in the world. Cable’s drawings clearly define the process of creating a family tree; she provides a blank tree so children can start on their own geneaology.(Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-517-70966-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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