by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Debbie Tilley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2002
In simply worded verse, George (Little Dog and Duncan, not reviewed, etc.) writes of lockers and lunches, new friends and typical experiences, as she tracks a child’s first year of middle school. She invites readers stepping across that (or any) threshold to embrace change: “Where do I fit? / Nothing is clear. / Can already tell / this will be / a jigsaw year” becomes, in “Long Jump,” “I can do anything. / All I need / is a running start,” and by “Last Day of School,” “I am shining / from the inside out.” Aside from a superficial poem about “the boy who’s so tough / the one who scares us so much,” plus a few passing anxieties, there’s little sign of tears or fears here—just a growing sense of self-confidence, a promise of good things to come calculated, and apt, to buoy up young grammar school graduates. Illustrations not seen. (Poetry. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-15250-4
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kristine O'Connell George
BOOK REVIEW
by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Lauren Stringer
BOOK REVIEW
by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Hiroe Nakata
BOOK REVIEW
by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Barry Moser
by Bijou Le Tord ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999
Less a story than an analysis of Matisse’s art, particularly after his move to Nice, this companion to A Blue Butterfly (1995), on Monet, also combines visual recasting of selected works with poetic commentary: “To his color palette he added the bluest sapphire blue he could imagine. And with it he painted the Mediterranean Sea.” Using a free style of brushwork that evokes Matisse’s own joy and energy, Le Tord alternates her versions of his art with scenes of the man himself, always nattily dressed, always industriously making art. This perceptive personal tribute will enhance readers’ appreciation for Matisse’s work; they won’t mind going elsewhere for biographical details, and reproductions of his actual paintings, sculpture, and collages. (Picture book. 8-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8028-5184-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
Share your opinion of this book
More by Karen Pandell
BOOK REVIEW
adapted by Karen Pandell & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord
BOOK REVIEW
by Bijou Le Tord & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord
BOOK REVIEW
edited by Bijou Le Tord & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord
edited by Iona Opie ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999
This oversized companion to the much ballyhooed My Very First Mother Goose (1996) will take toddlers and ex-toddlers deeper into the playscapes of the language, to meet Old King Cole, Old Mother Hubbard, and Dusty Bill From Vinegar Hill; to caper about the mulberry bush, polka with My Aunt Jane, and dance by the light of the moon. Mixing occasional humans into her furred and feathered cast, Wells creates a series of visual scenarios featuring anywhere from one big figure, often dirty or mussed, to every single cat on the road to St. Ives (over a thousand). Opie cuts longer rhymes down to two or three verses, and essays a sly bit of social commentary by switching the answers to what little girls and boys are made of. Though Wells drops the ball with this last, legitimizing the boys’ presence in a kitchen by dressing them as chefs, in general the book is plainly the work of a match made in heaven, and merits as much popularity as its predecessor. (Folklore. 1-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7636-0683-9
Page Count: 107
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
Share your opinion of this book
More by Iona Opie
BOOK REVIEW
by Iona Opie & illustrated by Rosemary Wells
BOOK REVIEW
edited by Iona Opie & illustrated by Rosemary Wells
BOOK REVIEW
by Iona Opie & Peter Opie & illustrated by Maurice Sendak
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.