From Keillor (Cat, You Better Come Home, 1995), another tale of gustatory excess and ultimate redemption. Wallace P. Flynn's fondness for cheese—the smellier the better—drives away his family, causes passing animals to faint, and at last forces the neighbors to call the Cheese Police. Flynn steadfastly refuses to forego the fromage—until his son, presenting a wife and child, offers an alluring alternative: "Why devote your life to cheese/When you can have a grandbaby on your knees?" Quitting the queso cold turkey, Flynn finds his wife in the Hebrides and settles down to a life of low-fat bliss. The cheery cheesehead capers giddily through the energetically drawn and brushed watercolors of Wilsdorf (Princess, 1993), as comic expressions of dismay on surrounding people and animals change to pleased smiles after Flynn's reformation. Using, it seems, every conceivable rhyme scheme, Keillor sacrifices smoothness of reading and stretches the text a bit further than it needs to go, but his gift for Ogden Nash-style rhymes will have readers rolling in the aisles: "From now on this shall be my goal: a/Life of zero Gorgonzola. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-316-48615-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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