On moving day, Pepita does not want to say goodbye to her friends and neighbors because doing so makes her cry. She uses their suggestions instead—“I’ll be seeing you,” “Go with God,” “Until tomorrow.” But faced with her best friend Sonya’s tears, Pepita cries too. Lachtman’s text combines a traumatic event—moving to a new neighborhood—with the comfort of loving family and neighbors and the pleasure of meeting a new friend. Pepita’s last visits combine predictability with variety as each person suggests a different way of not saying goodbye. DeLange’s full-page illustrations combine black outlines with pastel sweeps of color for vivid, almost two-dimensional scenes in which the slightly rounded people in some ways resemble dolls. They face English and Spanish texts in large, easy-to-read print. The Spanish translation is adept, in some places reading even more fluidly than the English original. While not an essential purchase, Pepita’s latest adventure will be welcome in libraries where the earlier books are popular and those in which more bilingual titles are necessary. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Nov. 30, 2005
ISBN: 1-55885-431-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Piñata Books/Arte Público
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
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 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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
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