A book that crackles with vernacular humor, its material drawn from the bayous of Louisiana; the Deep South of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia; and the mountains of Tennessee and the Carolinas. This terrific collection of tales and superstitions, rhymes, riddles, and made-up words, comes with an intentional slant: Van Laan (see review, above) states outright that she tried to make ``each story as funny as it could possibly be.'' Among the wide and varied selections are bird legends, possum stories, and a broad sampling of African-American folklore and humor. Van Laan includes source notes and additional reading, and Cook provides jaunty illustrations, exaggerating lines and limbs, and installing foolish expressions on animals and humans alike. Also included is an excellent map of the US that places the stories— as much as they can be placed—and demarcates the states of the South. Many readers, once they have enjoyed these modified versions, will seek out the originals, but there is no denying the diversions of this volume, with its combination of sheer mirthfulness and the scented trails of honeysuckle and magnolia. (Folklore. 6-11)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81061-X
Page Count: 102
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1998
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
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