Lankford and Dugan (Dominoes Around the World, 1998, etc.) continue their partnership as they present birthday customs, foods, and games from seven different countries. After an introduction that briefly covers the subject from ancient Rome, when Caesar Augustus was honored each month, to today’s national holidays, celebrated on the birthdays of famous people, double-paged spreads with text on one side and warm, realistic paintings of festive families and friends describe birthday happenings in Finland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Sweden. There is no indication why Lankford chose these countries and no country from Africa or the Middle East. Dugan numbers these random countries on a simple map and keyed to their names. Although the map lacks the names of continents, each country’s description begins with a boxed paragraph stating the location of each and some assorted facts. She mentions the Nobel Prize on the Swedish page and cites the rubber plants of Malaysia as the source of pencil erasers. The descriptions of the birthday celebrations are informative and usually include the directions for games, a Lankford specialty. “Drop the Handkerchief” from the Netherlands, “Pass the Parcel” from New Zealand, and “Coyote and Sheep” from Mexico are three that can easily be played at any birthday party. She includes party foods such as pansit, a noodle dish representing the wishes for a long life in the Philippines, and tidbits of information about gift customs and birthday songs. A general summary of birthday superstitions and a listing of birthday gems, flowers, and character traits for each month is a practical touch, as is a complete plan for an around-the-world birthday party with an ocean theme (chosen because an ocean touches each country). A description of a birthday book club, a boon to school libraries, rounds out this useful, if limited, compendium of birthday traditions. (bibliography, index) (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-688-15431-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
In a snowbound Swiss village, Matti figures it’s a good day to make a gingerbread man. He and his mother mix a batch of gingerbread and tuck it in the oven, but Matti is too impatient to wait ten minutes without peeking. When he opens the door, out pops a gingerbread baby, taunting the familiar refrain, “Catch me if you can.” The brash imp races all over the village, teasing animals and tweaking the noses of the citizenry, until there is a fair crowd on his heels intent on giving him a drubbing. Always he remains just out of reach as he races over the winterscape, beautifully rendered with elegant countryside and architectural details by Brett. All the while, Matti is busy back home, building a gingerbread house to entice the nervy cookie to safe harbor. It works, too, and Matti is able to spirit the gingerbread baby away from the mob. The mischief-maker may be a brat, but the gingerbread cookie is also the agent of good cheer, and Brett allows that spirit to run free on these pages. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23444-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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