An Anishinabe (Ojibwa) riddle/myth about the turning seasons. An old man invites a young visitor to sit in his wintry lodge. After the two exchange boasts (old man: ``When I blow my breath, streams stand still...''; young man: ``I breathe, and flowers spring up everywhere''), it is seen that the old man is ``Peboan'' (winter) while the other is ``Seegwun'' (spring). Peboan melts away (in the author's odd phrase, he ``grew less and less''), leaving only an early-blooming flower. Larry's first book is written in a formal, ornate style (``My breath unlocks the streams, which fill the air with musical laughter'') that carries over to his paintings; small, dignified figures go about their daily pre- European lives in big Northern landscapes rendered in exquisite colors, with sharp, careful detail. The story appears in several other collections, but these illustrations add a sense of place—as well as a light dose of cultural information. Afterword. (Folklore/Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 1993
ISBN: 0-374-35773-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1993
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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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