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SUGAR CANE

Name: SUGAR CANE
Author: Patricia Storace
ISBN: 978-0-7868-0791-8

A CARIBBEAN RAPUNZEL

by Patricia Storace & illustrated by Raúl Colón ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2007

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In this lyrical retelling of the classic Grimm tale, a young couple lives by the sea. When the woman becomes pregnant, she craves only sugar cane, so the man sets out for the far side of the island, only to discover some in the garden of a grand house nearby. He takes a few stalks, but when he returns for more, he finds the garden’s owner, the sorceress Madame Fate, who announces she will claim the child in payment for the theft. A year after Sugar Cane is born, “as glowing and velvety as a black pansy,” the sorceress imprisons her in a tower with only the ghosts of great teachers and a green monkey for company. Years later, a musician hears Sugar Cane’s voice echoing over the waves, setting the rest of the story into satisfying motion, culminating in a joyous wedding dance, which may still continue to this day. Storace’s glimmering prose and Colón’s luminous artwork are a perfect combination and complement to the story, and a dreamlike tribute to the beauty of the sea. (Fiction. 6-10)

Pub Date: July 1, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-7868-0791-8

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Disney-Jump at the Sun

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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WILD, WILD WOLVES

by Joyce Milton & illustrated by Larry Schwinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAUR DAYS
by Joyce Milton ; illustrated by Franco Tempesta

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GOONEY BIRD GREENE

by Lois Lowry & illustrated by Middy Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002

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Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)