Feisty Mirette and Bellini have another high-wire adventure, this time at Niagara Falls, where they face dastardly treachery, but come through with skill and courage. Mirette and Bellini cross the ocean first class, as befits their fame and talent, but Mirette befriends Jakob, a boy in steerage who admires the tightrope walkers as they practice on deck. Jakob, an orphan, is traveling to New York City to live with an uncle. When the uncle does not arrive at Ellis Island, Bellini and Mirette vouch for him and take him to Niagara Falls so that he is not returned to his native land. There, Jakob is instrumental in uncovering the plot of the wicked Mr. Patch, a rival wirewalker, who sabotages Bellini’s tight rope and almost causes the death of both performers. The happy ending includes triumph for Bellini, disgrace for Patch, the reunion of Jakob and his uncle, and the hint that Jakob will return in future adventures. McCully’s watercolor and pastel illustrations are better than the plot. Depictions of life on the ship, at Niagara Falls, and on Ellis Island give the historical context and an interesting background to the plot. Balloon insertions give detail in the larger scenes and effectively extend the story. A weak addition to the series. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-399-23348-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2000
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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Young Jabari decides today is the day he is going to jump from the diving board, even though it’s a little high and a little scary.
Jabari’s father and baby sister accompany him to the swimming pool in the city, where Jabari has already made up his mind about today’s goal: jumping off the diving board. “I’m a great jumper,” he says, “so I’m not scared at all.” But that’s not entirely true. Readers see Jabari play the waiting game as the other children (a diverse bunch) make their ways past him in line. Once Jabari finally begins to climb up, he slyly remembers that he forgot to “stretch.” The stalling techniques don’t faze his dad, who sees an opportunity for a life lesson. “It’s okay to feel a little scared,” offers his dad at the side of the pool. With renewed will, Jabari returns to the towering diving board, ready to embrace the feat. In her debut, Cornwall places her loving black family at the center, coloring the swimming pool and park beyond in minty hues and adding whimsy with digitally collaged newspaper for skyscrapers. A bird’s-eye view of Jabari’s toes clinging to the edge of the diving board as he looks way, way down at the blue pool below puts readers in his head and in the action.
This simple and sincere tale of working up courage to face fears makes quite a splash. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 9, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7838-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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