Trupp, a white, furry, catlike animal from a mythical, mountainous region, decides to see the world. Taking the clothes from a scarecrow for a disguise, and befriending a raven in the process, he hops onto a freight train, and arrives in a polluted urban setting. There are the familiar trials of the noble savage in a modern city: He is chased out of a fountain, yelled at for eating bread crumbs intended for birds, and winds up in a bad part of town. A homeless woman—the only person who recognizes him for what he really is—takes him under her wing. After a sample of her life- -a violent encounter, a meal in a back alley, a night spent in the park—Trupp decides it's time to go home. A seemingly moralistic story in print is raised to the level of gripping drama by the pictures. By wielding a brutal perspective and juxtaposing grainy detail in the foreground with shallow depth of field, Cannon (Stellaluna, 1993) gives her illustrations the look of photographs, except that her hero is imaginary. Since it can't be photographic realism, perhaps it's photographic magical realism? Viewing these pictures approximates the thrill of watching a movie, even one that is full of clichÇs. By reproducing this effect so powerfully, Cannon creates a unique reading experience. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-15-200130-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1995
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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