YOU CAN’T TAKE A BALLOON INTO THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

Name: YOU CAN’T TAKE A BALLOON INTO THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Author: Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman
ISBN: 0-8037-2570-1

by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman & illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2001

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This marvelous addition to the series celebrates the highlights of Boston landmarks and art, all with the irrepressible humor of this sister team. Our young adventurer has visited the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Now, she and her brother are exploring a new museum, just as unwelcome to balloon visitors as the others. Leaving her balloon with her grandmother, the girl and her brother explore the museum’s works with their grandfather, while outside, chaos ensues as the balloon gets loose and floats about the city, passing Boston’s most famous landmarks along the way. Life parallels art through Glasser’s clever drawings. As the children view Rembrandt’s Artist in His Studio, Grandma passes by a painter in the Public Gardens. And Dubuffet’s modernist sculpture L’Enqueteur bears a remarkable resemblance to the baseball catcher at the ballpark. The chase culminates in an uproarious scene at Fenway Park involving the entire cast of characters Grandma has met—and all in the middle of a Red Sox vs. Yankees game, of course. The beauty of this wordless escapade is that the story will be new with each person’s reading. Added to that are wonderful details, like the hidden drawings of 33 famous men and women who played a part in Boston’s history and development. The faithful reproductions found in the text introduce young readers to some of the works of art that can be found at the MFA, while the lively illustrations give an impromptu tour of Boston’s sites. Glasser’s mixture of color, and pen-and-ink drawings make details pop off the pages and the characters come alive. The text includes a list of the reproduced artwork, a map of Boston tracing the journey of the balloon, and brief biographical sketches of the famous people hidden in its pages. Great fun. (Picture book. 5-10)

Pub Date: May 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-8037-2570-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002

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CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
GLORIA'S PROMISE (AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE)
by Robin Preiss Glasser & Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman ; illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

- BOOK REVIEW
SUPERHERO JOE AND THE CREATURE NEXT DOOR
by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman ; illustrated by Ron Barrett

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MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE

by Marie Bradby & illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1995

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An inspiring story of young boy's compelling desire to read. As a boy of nine, Booker works in a salt mine from the dark of early morning to the gloom of night, hungry for a meal, but even hungrier to learn to read. Readers follow him on his quest in Malden, Virginia, where he finds inspiration in a man ``brown as me'' reading a newspaper on a street corner. An alphabet book helps, but Booker can't make the connection to words. Seeking out ``that brown face of hope'' once again, Booker gains a sense of the sounds represented by letters, and these become his deliverance. Bradby's fine first book is tautly written, with a poetic, spiritual quality in every line. The beautifully executed, luminous illustrations capture the atmosphere of an African-American community post-slavery: the drudgery of days consumed by back- breaking labor, the texture of private lives conducted by lantern- light. There is no other context or historical note about Booker T. Washington's life, leaving readers to piece together his identity. Regardless, this is an immensely satisfying, accomplished work, resonating first with longing and then with joy. (Picture book. 5- 8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995

ISBN: 0-531-09464-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orchard

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1995

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
SOME FRIEND
by Marie Bradby

- BOOK REVIEW
ONCE UPON A FARM
by Marie Bradby & illustrated by Ted Rand

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LONGEST WAIT
by Marie Bradby & illustrated by Peter Catalanotto

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THE STONE OF FIRE

From the Cavemice series , Vol. 1

by Geronimo Stilton & illustrated by Geronimo Stilton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2013

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Warp back in time for a prehistoric spinoff adventure with Geronimo Stilton’s ancestor, Geronimo Stiltonoot, in Old Mouse City.

Readers will find Geronimo Stiltonoot a familiar character, outfitted differently from descendant Stilton yet still running a newspaper and having wild adventures. In this introduction to prehistoric mouse life, someone has stolen the most powerful and important artifact housed by the Old Mouse City Mouseum: the Stone of Fire. It’s up to Stiltonoot and his fellow sleuth and friend, Hercule Poirat, to uncover not only the theft, but a dangerous plot that jeopardizes all of Old Mouse City. As stand-ins for the rest of the Stilton cast, Stiltonoot has in common with Stilton a cousin named Trap, a sister named Thea and a nephew named Benjamin. The slapstick comedy and design, busy with type changes and color, will be familiar for Stilton readers. The world is fictionalized for comedic effect, featuring funny uses for dinosaurs and cheeky references to how far back in time they are, with only the occasional sidebar that presents facts. The story takes a bit long to get started, spending a lot of time reiterating the worldbuilding information laid out before the first chapter. But once it does start, it is an adventure Stilton readers will enjoy. Geronimo Stiltonoot has the right combination of familiarity and newness to satisfy Stilton fans. (Fiction. 6-10)