From a Russian (1905-41) who began to write for children when, in the 1930's, his avant-garde adult poetry couldn't be published (and who died a political prisoner): a deceptively simple cumulative tale about a boy whose sled runs, one by one, into a hunter, a dog, a fox, and a hare, carrying them all together until they smash into a bear. ``And since then,/I've heard it said,/Willie never/rides his sled.'' Radunsky (illustrator of Marshak's The Pup Grew Up!, 1989) profiles the action, close up in the picture plane, on a cloud of windblown snow. First seen as a thoughtful lad gazing skyward, Will encounters the stolid hunter head-on, landing beneath him; the headlong journey spins ever more out of control as it hurtles on a collision course toward the big red bear. The dynamic action will intrigue little children, but this fable will most interest those old enough to appreciate the subtext and the powerful art. (Picture book. 3+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1993
ISBN: 1-55858-214-2
Page Count: 26
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1993
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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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 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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