Morrison (Antonio's Apprenticeship, 1996) painlessly imparts an enormous amount of information, delineating step-by-step the creation of a Renaissance sculpture; attractive illustrations echoing period color, line, and composition accompany this tale of a fictional 17th-century apprentice and his master. Young Marco goes to the studio of the greatest sculptor in Rome, Luigi Borghini, with a wax figure he has made, and a request to be apprenticed. Borghini accepts him, and is alternately prickly and kind. Cutting stone is the very last of the tasks Marco learns: There are hours and days of sketching cadavers and ancient sculptures; copying drawings; molding in wax and mud and horsehair; measuring and planning. Marco visits the quarry that is the source of the fine white marble that will become the ``Neptune Fountain'' and helps to get the marble back to Borghini's studio by boat. Marco's own carving of a grotesque waterspout finds a place in the finished work, and the master reminds him of the necessities of hard work, patience, and the passing down of the art to others. A note recounts Morrison's visit to the studio of a contemporary Italian marble sculptor, and the source of the slightly didactic closing lines. A worthy companion to the previous book. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-10)
Pub Date: March 15, 1997
ISBN: 0-8234-1293-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1997
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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