09-4-0423

Axtell, David. We’re Going on a Lion Hunt. New York: Henry Holt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by the author. ISBN 0-8050-6159-2, $15.95.

Grimes, Nikki. Is It Far to Zanzibar? New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Betsy Lewin. ISBN 0-688-13157-3, $15.95.

The authors of We’re Going on a Lion Hunt and Is It Far to Zanzibar? use different strategies to convey their theme of adventure or travel in East Africa. Axtell, in the former, organizes his story through repetitious phrasing, bold lettering, and onomatopoeic words. In this imaginative setting, two young girls set out on a lion hunt carrying a knapsack and stuffed rabbit. They first pass through tall grass, then a lake, and finally a swamp before they locate a lion in a cave. When the lion awakes, the girls return through the various barriers to arrive safely at home in bed.

In contrast, Grimes utilizes poetry to describe a medley of Tanzanian activities. She concentrates on one country rather than addressing a region as does Axtell. By her travelers experiencing 13 different situations, she provides a vivid picture of daily life. En route to Zanzibar, the traveler focuses on a typical situation such as bus travel, a view of street sellers, home visits, eating hot peppers, or picking coffee. Several poems provide a natural point of discussion concerning the similarities in culture between Tanzania and the United States. Such poems include "Down the Road a Bit," "Bus Ride," "Home Visit," or "Haraka, Haraka." In addition, Grimes introduces some Swahili words. Sometime she Anglicizes them for humor. To help readers understand the language, she provide a glossary of Swahili words with a pronunciation guide. To Lewin’s credit, her illustrations appear realistic. For example, the people are portrayed in daily and not ceremonial dress. In preparing this book, both author and illustrator traveled to Tanzania.

Both books have limitations. Axtell’s is totally unrealistic from an East African perspective. In fact, the idea of "girls going on a lion hunt" is not part of any East African tradition. The illustrations place wild animals such as elephants, wildebeests, zebra, giraffes, hippopotamuses, or rhinoceroses adjacent to the girls and out of context. Although the text may be fun to read, the illustrations reinforce stereotypes about East Africa that Africans have been trying to correct since their countries’ independence. A cultural lesson using this book would be difficult.

In Grimes and Lewin’s book, two things stand out. First, similar to the Axtell story, Grimes includes a poem concerning an unrealistic lion meeting, or at least a meeting out of context. Images of a boy and a lion are distributed throughout the book in what appears to be an attempt to reinforce a misconception about contemporary Tanzania. The second problem is the illustration of the poem for "Mount Meru." The poem contains no description of people, as the others do, and the illustration is designed in a totally different format. Without any explanation, this section appears out of place. For these reasons, I do not recommend the Axtell book for the elementary reader, and I suggest advisory use of the Grimes book.

—Patricia S. Kuntz
Madison, Wis.

09-4-0424

Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn. The Music in Derrick’s Heart. New York: Holiday House, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Colin Bootman. ISBN 0-8234-1353-5, $16.95.

Battle-Lavert, Gwendolyn. The Shaking Bag. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. ISBN 0-8075-7328-0, $15.95.

Battle-Lavert has written two heartwarming books featuring lovable characters and events, which embrace the themes of kindness and generosity—whether of one’s time, talents, or resources. In The Music in Derrick’s Heart, Derrick’s uncle, Booker T., has promised to teach him how to play the harmonica. An energetic and enthusiastic youngster, Derrick listens intently as his uncle plays his music while sitting on the front porch or walking around the neighborhood. When Derrick starts to play the harmonica, Uncle Booker T. urges him to slow down, take his time, and feel the music with his heart. Every day Derrick practices, and each night he sleeps with the harmonica, sometimes clutching it in his hand or taping it to his chest or forehead.

Booker T.’s sweet harmonica playing rouses everyone in the neighborhood, including Derrick’s mother, who claps her hands and rejoices in the music. "If Booker T. keeps on playing like that, we going to have church right here," she says. Derrick and his uncle visit Aunt Agnes, who asks Booker T. to play jazz on his harmonica. Derrick is very determined to play the harmonica like his uncle, but despite his constant practicing, he still must wait until he can "feel the music." Uncle Booker T.’s advice to Derrick is to play what he feels. During the entire summer, Derrick never lets the harmonica out of his sight. When the daily routine of harmonica lessons suddenly stops, Derrick feels confident enough to finally play a song from his heart.

This charming and touching story will delight young readers, who will certainly appreciate the beauty of music. Bootman’s lively oil paintings successfully capture the enthusiastic expression on Derrick’s face as he learns to play the harmonica, as well as the realistic and expressive features of the children who participate in the town’s marching band. His art also features a rich Southern setting with folks sitting on their front porches, talking, and swatting mosquitoes. These images, combined with Battle-Lavert’s colorful prose, make The Music in Derrick’s Heart a fun-filled read.

In The Shaking Bag, Miss Annie Mae is a kind, elderly woman who lives with her dog, Effie, in a run-down home. Unable to make ends meet, she shares all that she has with her friends, the birds that frequent her yard, giving them birdseed and bits of bread. She and Effie also share the bread. One evening she receives a visit from a stranger named Raven Reed, who needs a room for the night. Miss Annie opens her home to this traveling stranger, who hands her the old seed bag that she left outside. She apologizes to the stranger about her poor living conditions. Raven Reed offers to take care of her needs by shaking the seed bag while uttering the words, "Shake it up! Shake it up! All around!" Surprisingly, everything Miss Annie Mae needs starts to fall out of the bag, such as wood for the stove, furniture, and mounds of food. Miss Annie remarks that she feels like a queen as she and her dog and the friendly stranger enjoy the feast. There’s something mysterious about the stranger, who insists that Miss Annie Mae keep the shaking bag as a gift for her generosity. The Shaking Bag is a feel-good treat filled with comfort and mystery. Robinson’s unique drawings are captivating.

—Valerie A. Canady
Johnston, R.I.

09-4-0425

Bradby, Marie. Momma, Where Are You From? New York: Orchard Books, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Chris K. Soentpiet. ISBN 0-531-30305-2, $16.95.

Mays, Osceola and Govenar, Alan. Osceola: Memories of a Sharecropper’s Daughter. New York: Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2000. 64 pp. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. Edited by Alan Govenar. ISBN 0-7868-0407-6, $15.99.

Both of these books, one for younger children and the other for older ones, take readers on a journey to the past. In Momma, Where Are You From? an African-American mother delves into her memory to tell her young daughter what her life was like when she was a child. The mother returns to a place where a bus carried her siblings way across town past school after school until the bus stopped at one where all of the children were shades of brown. She tells of a place at the edge of town where families grew and chickens ran in a neighborhood "as close knit as a sweater." She details fish fries outside on Friday nights and children dancing while parents listened to records by Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Bradby’s poetic text is wonderfully paired with exquisite watercolors by Soentpiet, an artist with whom she has shared awards.

In Osceola, folklorist and filmmaker Govenar records the memories and recollections of Osceola Mays after 15 years of interviews and meetings with her. Osceola, who is over 90 years of age, tells of a childhood in East Texas, where she was the granddaughter of slaves. Her memories include poems from the Civil War period, tales of men singing the blues, and the painful death of her mother when she was 10. Osceola, who lives in Dallas, continues to share her history at schools, museums, and festivals.

Evans’s colorful illustrations, framed by white borders, are a perfect complement to this powerful oral testimonial of poverty, loss, and survival. Both books are highly recommended.

—Bettye Stroud
Athens, Ga.

09-4-0426

Collier, Bryan. Uptown. New York: Henry Holt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by the author. ISBN 0-8050-5721-8, $15.95.

Davis, Patricia A. Brian’s Bird. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Layne Johnson. ISBN 0-8075-0881-0, $14.95.

Brian, who is blind, is the eight-year-old younger brother of Kevin in Brian’s Bird. Brian’s family presents him with a birthday gift. Brian expects to feel the shape of a box with wrapping paper on it, but instead he feels something that’s hard and has wires. It’s a cage and inside the cage is his gift, a parakeet. The boy has been completely blind for the past three years, so he immediately asks for a description of the bird. His grandmother encourages him to interact with his new pet. She opens the cage, and the bird lands on his finger. Because the bird’s feet scratch his finger, the boy decides to name it Scratchy. As time passes Brian works with the bird and trains him to land on his finger on command. After many painstaking attempts, he also prompts the parakeet to mimic a few phrases.

Brian is very proud of his efforts to get Scratchy to say a few words, and he wants to demonstrate the bird’s prowess to his brother. Unfortunately, the bird doesn’t cooperate and decides to remain mute. Kevin scoffs at the notion that a bird can talk, and he leaves his little brother embarrassed and angry with him. Their grandmother steps into the breach. She gets Brian to think of a few reasons why Kevin isn’t such a bad guy.

I would consider this story as one about a family coping with a member who is physically challenged. The fact that the characters are African American has no impact on the events. The only way to tell that these characters are members of an identifiable ethnic group is through the illustrations. The illustrations are very intriguing. Bright, bold colors abound throughout the text. The facial expressions on the characters seem to be in a perpetual state of gee-whiz wonderment. You couldn’t find a happier group of mainstream Americans this side of the Cleaver family.

From the domestic tranquillity found in Brian’s Bird we go to Uptown by Bryan Collier. The author/illustrator uses watercolors and collage to take his reader on a travelogue of America’s most famous African-American urban area: Harlem, New York.

A young resident of the neighborhood serves as the host and narrator. He tells us about the people, the transportation, and the daily occurrences that pulse across 110th Street. He also takes us through the cultural history of Upper Manhattan.

The text is minimal and is used as part of the artwork, which is absolutely stunning. Harlem has never looked so beautiful as it does on the pages of this book. For anyone interested in learning about the culture and history of Harlem, this is a book where the pictures really are worth a thousand words.

—Reeves Smith
Madison (Wis.) Metropolitan _School District

09-4-0427

Deetlefs, Rene. The Song of Six Birds. New York: Dutton, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Lyn Gilbert. ISBN 0-525-46314-5, $15.99.

In this folktale from southern Africa, a young girl, Lindiwe, is excited to get a flute. But it has no music, just a loud unpleasant noise that frightens a child nearby into screaming. The dog howls, and the chickens squawk. Lindiwe goes about looking for music to fill her flute. Six different birds fill her flute with various sweet sounds.

Lindiwe runs home and on the way plays her flute. It’s a celebration as she’s joined by several people and the six birds. She is also followed by a boy with his goats and the colorful medicine man, who seems gratuitously inserted to make the picture more exotic.

At the end, Lindiwe’s mother invites everybody to a feast where she serves her special stew. There’s joyous singing and dancing, and the sounds from Lindiwe’s flute fill the air. The pictures are bold, bright, vibrant, and full of movement. The writing lends itself to reading aloud to children, who will enjoy the sounds of the different birds; the crowned crane’s "Mahem!," the hornbill’s "Tock-tocki-tock!," the rainbird’s "Doo-doo-doo!," the hoopoe’s "Hoop, hoop!," the paradise flycatcher’s "Whee-wheeo-wit-wit!," and the wood owl’s "Whoo-hu, whoo-hu-hu!" Despite the gratuitous medicine man, the book is an interesting addition to the many folktales published in the last couple of years.

—Lesego Malepe
Wheaton College

09-4-0428

Demi. The Emperor’s New Clothes. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by the author. ISBN 0-689-83068-8, $19.95.

Demi has created a stunning art piece that will be fondly remembered by anyone who experiences the familiar tale of the emperor’s clothes in this new setting. The festive colors and rich detail of each page are magnificent, even if the emperor’s final appearance is not. The author deftly incorporates many traditional symbols from Chinese culture into the clothing, buildings, and surrounding landscape of each page and includes a traditional silk screen on one page that explains the significance of each of these symbols. Demi’s sensitive portrayal of the Chinese people has also avoided the stereotypical "Chinamen" caricature that has often accompanied stories with similar settings.

At the conclusion of the story, audiences will be enticed to read the book again. They will want to open the large foldout pages to admire the exquisite details and watch the vivid colors scamper off the pages as quickly as the children with the dragon kite or those surrounded by animals in the field. Children’s endless fascination with hunting through pages of illustrations to spot the tiniest details will also be rewarded. This edition is highly recommended for anyone who loves a good picture book.

—Sharon Chur Lapensky
Minneapolis, Minn.

09-4-0429

Gelman, Rita Golden. Rice Is Life. New York: Henry Holt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Yangsook Choi. ISBN 0-8050-5719-6, $15.95.

Krudop, Walter Lyon. The Man Who Caught Fish. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by the author, ISBN 0-374-34786-7, $16.00.

Gathering/harvesting food is the main theme of two recently published picture books for children. Rice Is Life provides a factual narrative about planting, growing, and harvesting rice on the island of Bali. But it is much more than this. A two-page introduction provides some general background about the people of Bali and shows Bali’s location within a map of Indonesia. Two separate texts comprise this story of rice and its importance to the Balinese. One of the texts is presented on the page outside the illustration. This text is factual and details the drama of the stages of raising rice: preparing the land, setting the plants, watering, tending the plants, protecting the plants from pests, harvesting, and offering thanks to Dewi Sri, who is the goddess of rice. The other text, printed within the illustration, is a poetic interpretation of each stage of growing rice.

These three components provide three ways to introduce children to another culture. First, the geographic location and general background can be learned in the introduction. Second, the informational text provides general knowledge about rice, using rich vocabulary and detail. Third, the poetry expands the basic knowledge to illustrate the impact of this life-sustaining food on the people. This excellent book, with richness in both text and illustration, affords a vicarious cultural experience that is available for any classroom. The author and illustrator show great reverence for rice, as well as respect and love for the people of Bali.

By contrast, The Man Who Caught Fish is fiction, an original story in folktale style. And, while the story does not deal with facts and its setting is vague, it presents truths, specifically, the truth of the consequences of arrogance and greed.

In this tale, a stranger wanders the countryside with what seems like a magical fishing pole. Each time he puts his pole in the river, he pulls out a fish. He distributes these fish among the nearby people with the words, "One person, one fish." When the king sees this, he thinks he will surely get a whole basketful of fish. After all, he is the king. But the king is offered only one fish. The king tries a variety of methods to coerce the stranger to change his practice, but to no avail. Finally, the king thinks he can trick the stranger, but instead it becomes the king’s lot to roam the land now as the wandering fisherman with the magic pole, espousing the philosophy of one fish to one person. This brings the tale to a satisfying conclusion, as the reader realizes the result of the king’s unwillingness to accept his just portion of food.

In these books, fact and fiction both present the message of the importance of food and the need to respect it.

—Mary J. Lickteig
University of Nebraska at Omaha

09-4-0430

Godard, Alex. Mama, Across the Sea. New York: Henry Holt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by the author. ISBN 0-8050-6161-4, $16.95.

Cecile desperately misses her mother, who had to leave their beautiful Caribbean island in order to find work. After Cecile writes a letter, decorated with shells and pink sand, she is greatly disappointed that her mother will not be returning soon. But Cecile learns later that her letters were not in vain.

This book has much to recommend it. First, it captures the longing felt by children who are separated from their parents. Second, it explores the importance of literacy. Cecile and her mother exchange letters. She reads a letter for her illiterate grandmother and teaches her to write. She hears a folktale about a hungry fisherman who is tricked by a mermaid into jumping in the sea. Cecile relates to the frustrated fisherman as well; she too has lost her father and now her mother to the sea. Third, Cecile is a good model of perseverance.

Godard must be commended for his dreamy, almost nostalgic illustrations done in pastels; they work well with the text. This would be a good book to share with any child; however, it should resonate with those who may have experienced prolonged separation from parents. Children too can see the power of all types of literacy to effect change in one’s life.

—Gail S. Taylor
Old Dominion University

09-4-0431

Harjo, Joy. The Good Luck Cat. San Diego: Harcourt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Paul Lee. ISBN 0-15-232197-7, $16.00.

Harjo, an acclaimed poet of Muskogee-Creek heritage, has made a stunning debut as a picture book author with this compelling title. The narrator is a girl who loves her cat, Woogie. Woogie is a rare "good luck cat." She brings victory to Aunt Shelly at bingo, and the little girl always finds things she loses when Woogie is around.

Woogie, however, has run through eight of her nine lives, and now she cannot be found. The narrator recalls the mishaps that cost her other lives, such as falling asleep next to the car motor, fighting with another cat over a bird, falling out of a tree onto her head, getting tumbled in the dryer, and being left in the car trunk when the family went to a powwow. When Woogie returns after four days from her ninth escapade, the narrator realizes that she truly is a good luck cat.

The illustrations complement the text, as children see the bandage on Woogie’s tail and pieces of her ear missing. A lost cat sign that the narrator makes is delightfully ingenuous. Small details reveal that this is a Native American family. Woogie purrs "as if she has a drum near her heart." The powwow is an important time in the family’s life. Cat lovers of all ages will also rejoice in the author and illustrator’s vivid evocation of feline behavior.

Rarely do we find masters of other literary forms turning their attention to picture books. We are indeed fortunate that Harjo has chosen to devote her considerable talents to this medium.

—Lyn Miller-Lachmann

09-4-0432

Johnson, Angela. Down the Winding Road. New York: DK Ink, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. ISBN 0-7894-2596-3, $15.95.

Johnson, Dinah. Quinnie Blue. New York: Henry Holt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by James Ransome. ISBN 0-8050-4378-0, $16.95.

These two titles tout the joys of intergenerational relationships. They demonstrate the love flowing and nourishing when different generations of two African-American families come together to share, to support, and to appreciate. In Down the Winding Road, the Old Ones wait, all seven of them lined up in a row. These aunts and uncles of Daddy’s were old when they raised him, and now when the young girl and her brother come to visit on the last day before school starts, they are still there with hugs and memories and warm hands to hold. The joys are simple, with the children listening to stories, swimming in the lake, and taking a long walk with the Old Ones. Shane Evans’s illustrations show the Old Ones all lined up again and waving as the youngsters leave. His full- and double-page oil paintings are a perfect complement to Johnson’s elegant language.

In Quinnie Blue, Dinah Johnson tells of young Quinnie, who wonders what the childhood of her grandmother was like. It must have been somewhat like hers; after all she is named for the grandmother: Hattie Lottie Annie Quinnie Blue. The award-winning illustrator James Ransome shows Grandmother Quinnie as a child in his paintings as well as young Quinnie. A series of Quinnie’s questions throughout the rhythmic text are accompanied by a vivid blue, a color repeated in each painting. Ransome’s paintings, done on blue- and pink-stained wood frames, bring the two Quinnies together at the end of the story, portraying the special relationship between the young girl and her grandmother.

Both titles are recommended as first purchases.

—Bettye Stroud
Athens, Ga.

09-4-0433

Kurtz, Jane. Faraway Home. San Diego: Harcourt, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by E. B. Lewis. ISBN 0-15-200036-4, $16.00.

Kurtz has written a poignant story that shows the connection between the old home, Ethiopia, and the new one, America. It is the story of a father who lives in America with his family but is still closely connected to his home in Ethiopia. In a simple but touching statement he says, "For me Ethiopia is never far away."

The relationship between the father and his young daughter, Desta, is warm and tender. He sings to her songs in his language. Beautifully juxtaposed against the sounds of the father’s Ethiopia are the sounds of Desta’s America in the wind chime on the front porch. For the father, in his old home, "the wind whooshed cold as old bones through the silver blue leaves of the eucalyptus trees outside my home." For Desta, "The tree she hears at night drops white blossoms on her bedroom windowsill, blossoms that look like snow."

The author’s language is rich, bright, and sharp, and it brings to life all the senses. For example, the father, talking about Ethiopia, says, "hippos yawn from muddy pools and crocodiles arch their backs above the river water. Shepherds pipe songs of longing in the hills, and thousands of flamingos flap in a pink cloud over the Great Rift Valley lakes. I wish you could see the pink cloud." At the end Desta appreciates and understands the world of her father better. Whereas at the beginning she is surprised to hear he went to school barefoot, by the end she walks home from school barefoot, "swinging her shoes, feeling the sun under her feet where it has soaked into the ground." She is connected to her father’s home; she wears the picture of her grandmother in a locket. The author’s word pictures are complemented by the rich, beautiful, bold, bright illustrations, which are guaranteed to make the young reader and the adult keep turning the page.

—Lesego Malepe
Wheaton College

09-4-0434

Marx, Trish. One Boy from Kosovo. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. with photos by Cindy Karp. ISBN 0-688-17732-8, $15.95.

This is the true story of a 12-year-old Albanian boy, his brother, sister, and parents facing the danger of living in a middle-size city in Kosovo and their journey into exile because of the war. Then we see their everyday life in the refugee camp of Brazda in Macedonia. There is the ever-present dirt, crowding, and lines for food, water, and everything a family needs to survive. The mind of the boy takes in all of this, plus memories of home, family, and friends; the comings and goings of new friends from the camp to new countries; and the boredom and uncertainty of those left behind.

Still, Edi, the main person of this story, is luckier than most. The camp has many children who were separated from their families during the flight from Kosovo. There is the search to make families whole again. The photos of Edi living the camp life make the situation more directly understandable. We aren’t told numbers of exiles, but the life of one boy. It could also be the story of many refugees in many countries of the world that are in turmoil. For the reader, current events are brought to life. However, this great strength—a true story straight from today’s headlines made more understandable by focusing on one small group of individuals—might be too much for a young and sensitive child.

—Ruth Becker
Forest Hills, N.Y.

09-4-0435

Micklos, John, Jr., ed. Daddy Poems. Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mills Press, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Robert Casilla. Introduction by Jim Trelease. ISBN 1-56397-735-4, $15.95.

This delightful children’s book is a colorful collection of poems about fathers. A variety of ethnic groups is represented as fathers of many different cultures spend quality time with their children.

Because fathers have not been recognized enough for all the good things they do for their families, books such as Daddy Poems are extremely important. In today’s society, much emphasis is placed on the absent father or a father who is estranged and distant from his children. Fathers who are actively involved with their children may appear extraordinary. Yet the fathers who appear here are regular men who give so much to their children during the early years and beyond into adulthood. Even divorced fathers are portrayed as concerned and involved with their children.

The activities illustrated in this book include piggyback rides, writing poetry, shaving, hugging, dancing, looking at the evening stars, playing baseball, eating dinner, giving baths, and reading stories. There is a great variety of poems by different writers. John Micklos, Jr., Nikki Grimes, Donald Graves, and Janet Wong are some of the many poets who are represented in this book.

Daddy Poems is valuable for both home and school. It can be used as a tool to bring the images and reputations of fathers up to where they should be. Male and fatherhood involvement groups would benefit from sharing this book with their participants. It is refreshing to see a bright side to life as fathers play essential roles in raising their children.

—Hannah M. Heller
Woodstock (Md.) Job Corps

09-4-0436

Miller, William. The Piano. New York: Lee & Low, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Susan Keeter. Includes CD. ISBN 1-880000-98-9, $15.95.

Because Tia loves music, she wanders the streets of her hot, dry town all summer, listening for the wonderful sounds that take her away to imaginary places filled with castles, mountains, and deep new snow. One day when she wanders into the white section of town, she is drawn to a house where she hears music. She takes a job there as a maid just so she can hear more of the music.

Miss Hartwell, the old woman who hires Tia, listens to a record player and allows Tia to run her fingers along the keys of her piano, the biggest piano Tia has ever seen, with black wood that shines brighter than a new pair of Sunday shoes. With fingers grown stiff with age, Miss Hartwell teaches Tia notes, a simple scale. Tia helps her employer by bathing her hands in warm, salted water. On another day, when Tia’s hands are stiff from hard work, Miss Hartwell returns the favor, and the music lessons continue. Miss Hartwell goes along with Tia as the music takes them to places filled with castles, mountains, and deep new snow.

Susan Keeter’s illustrations are adeptly executed in rich oils, and a music CD is included with the book. The Piano is an inspiring story of a young African-American girl and an older white woman who form a bond and a friendship through their mutual love of music. It is a friendship that transcends age and race. A first selection for any collection.

—Bettye Stroud
Athens, Ga.

09-4-0437

Myers, Walter Dean. The Blues of Flats Brown. New York: Holiday House, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Nina Laden. ISBN 0-8234-1480-9, $16.95.

Flats Brown is a laid-back, blues-playing junkyard dog that lives in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. While he sings and strums his guitar, Caleb, his best friend and fellow mutt, backs him on the bones. A. J. Grubbs is their abusive owner, who wants to turn them into fighting dogs. After Caleb, who is older and suffers from arthritis, is forced to fight, he and Flats decide to run away.

They arrive in Shanty Town and begin playing such tunes as "The Bent Tail Blues" and "The Freaky Flea Blues" in a black club called the Curly-Que. Just as Flats and Caleb get comfortable, along comes Grubbs to reclaim them. The two dogs escape again to Memphis, Tennessee, where they decide that making records is better and perhaps safer than playing in the streets. They sell lots of records, but it isn’t long before Grubbs is on their trail again. As Flats prepares to leave town, Caleb decides he is too old and tired to continue running and opts to stay behind. Eventually Flats ends up in New York City, where he meets the king of the country blues, Blind Buddy Doyle. Flats continues to find success playing tunes most familiar to his heart: "the waterfront sounds of Mound Bayou" as well as the "lonely sounds of a freight train and the hot sounds of the Curly-Que." No matter where Flats goes, Grubbs manages to find him. An interesting turn of events occurs when Flats sings a song that’s close to Grubbs’s heart.

Myers does a terrific job of creating atmosphere with his lyrical, bluesy narrative. The book’s last page and inside back cover feature lyrics to the song "The New York City Blues." Nina Laden’s delightful illustrations eloquently capture the mood and settings with her smoky pastel colorings. The Blues of Flats Brown features colorful, adventurous characters and great blues songs and images that will certainly entertain young readers.

—Valerie A. Canady
Johnston, R.I.

09-4-0438

Nolen, Jerdine. Big Jabe. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Kadir Nelson. ISBN 0-688-13662-1, $15.95.

For years, tall tales and stories of Mike Fink, Paul Bunyan, and John Henry have delighted readers of all ages as well as those who listen to stories. This original tall tale by Nolen has the power to take a place right beside these tales.

Big Jabe is found in a basket floating in the river, and like Moses, he becomes a leader and a giant among the Plenty Plantation slaves with his gigantic deeds. Also, like Harriet Tubman, who became known among slaves as Moses due to her brave rescue of over 300 slaves from servitude, Big Jabe manages to spirit slaves magically to freedom just at the right moment.

The book reads as if one is listening to a storyteller’s voice rise and fall in a musical rhythm that weaves a believable tale. Listeners and readers are swept along by the action and almost want to cheer this gentle giant who takes his friends to the North Star. Supported by wonderful illustrations by Kadir Nelson, this book will be truly enjoyed by all ages.

—Linda Crump-Stenberg
Karigon Elementary School, _Clifton Park, N.Y.

09-4-0439

Oberman, Sheldon. The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba. Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mills Press, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Neil Waldman. ISBN 1-56397-816-4, $15.95.

This book is a retelling of the tale "A Palace of Bird Beaks," by Howard Schwartz and Barbara Rush, in their book The Diamond Tree. King Solomon, the wisest man in the world, gets together with the Queen of Sheba, who is considered to be the wisest woman of the world. Together they learn a valuable lesson about the beauty of living creatures and their contributions to nature and the world.

When the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon with extravagant gifts, she asks him to share his knowledge and to do things that would seem impossible to an ordinary person. When she asks him to build a palace of birds’ beaks, he feels he must keep his promise and fulfill her wishes. The birds all report to him except for the hoopoe bird. The hoopoe negotiates a deal with King Solomon that if he can’t answer three questions, the hoopoes will give up their beaks.

Although he answers the questions correctly, King Solomon realizes the tremendous destruction he would cause by taking an essential part of a bird’s body for his own selfish needs. The Queen of Sheba agrees with him. Not only are all the birds allowed to keep their beaks, the hoopoe is also rewarded with a crown of golden feathers. King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba learn from the hoopoe that the world and all its creatures are meant to last forever. They also learn that beaks are used for both feeding a baby and for fighting off enemies and that tears are drops of water that don’t rise from the ground or fall from the sky.

Through vivid and colorful illustrations and enlightening text, this story demonstrates that living things and nature are special gifts. If we learn to appreciate all living creatures, we will live in a better world. The ideas of caring for living creatures and respecting wise people are emphasized. This book is an enriching addition to any personal or professional library collection.

—Hannah M. Heller
Woodstock (Md.) Job Corps

09-4-0440

Padilla, Felix. Mami Amor’s Little Stories. Long Beach, N.Y.: LIBROS; Encouraging Cultural Literacy, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Eren Star Padilla; Spanish edition available. ISBN 0-9675413-2-8, $16.00.

Padilla, Felix. My Two Lights. Long Beach, N.Y.: LIBROS; Encouraging Cultural Literacy, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Eren Star Padilla; Spanish edition available. ISBN 0-9675413-0-1, $16.00.

My Two Lights is a magical story in which a Puerto Rican boy is taught the importance of cultural understanding. His "teacher," a woman whose name means Mrs. Light, sings "Verde Luz," transfixing the child. He softens to her lessons about the power of music, the Spanish language, and the Puerto Rican homeland. The boy sails on her words to their ancestral home; then he summons forth the magical visit at will. He gathers many gifts—music, Spanish, the Puerto Rican homeland, a significant connection with an elder, and the journey of learning the power of who he really is.

Experiencing the past as a living heritage, the boy develops empathy for immigrants who have been displaced. The homeland comes to life for them through song, the Spanish language, and community. This book encourages the cultural literacy of all children.

Mami Amor’s Little Stories is also breathtaking. The heart of a Puerto Rican child, who serves as the storyteller, is revealed through historical events. The journey of Mami Amor, a needleworker who lived in Puerto Rico in the 1940s and then Chicago, brings this experience of hardship into focus. This immigrant story about displacement and survival, as well as exploitation and despair, is a courageous narrative.

Children will learn about the ancestry that has shaped others and themselves. The threads on the needlework belong to people we know or places we have been, shaping our cultural identity. This big book is like the beautiful needlework it describes. Stitched into the pages are images of mountain views and more. Also stitched in is the realism of the machine world that disrupted the Puerto Rican lifestyle.

Children’s human capacities can develop through these complementary books (in which instructional prompts are provided). They elicit understanding of important issues involving dislocation/alienation and resiliency/hope of growing minorities in the United States.

—Carol A. Mullen
University of South Florida

09-4-0441

Peacock, Carol Antoinette. Mommy Far, Mommy Near: An Adoption Story. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Shawn Costello Brownell. ISBN 0-8075-5234-8, $14.95.

This story accurately depicts the confusion and insecurity of a young girl as she struggles to understand her adoption from China and acquires a growing awareness of the differences between her adoptive Caucasian family’s physical traits and her Chinese features. Elizabeth’s "mommy near" poignantly and patiently explains the adoption process while reassuring Elizabeth and validating her feelings toward "mommy far."

Brownell’s compassionate, competent illustrations avoid the stereotypical images of Asian features and effectively blend the adoptive parents’ actions with those of Elizabeth and her sister, creating naturalness in their relationships. The mood, however, is more somber than uplifting. While the nature of an adopted person’s issues regarding family and looking different can be indistinct and confusing to a young child, the predominantly brownish tone to the book is depressing.

The recurring "adopt me" verse evokes one from a popular picture book about a young woman and her newborn son, Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch. The similarity gives Peacock’s verse a copycat feel and, unfortunately, it doesn’t flow as well as Munsch’s. Mommy Far, Mommy Near, however, adds to children’s literature a new version of the universal story of a mother’s love for her child and fills a need for adopted children, especially those adopted cross-culturally. Internationally adopted children can identify with Elizabeth and, hopefully, the "mommy near" role can help some parents address their own children’s concerns about adoption.

—Sharon Chur Lapensky
Minneapolis, Minn.

09-4-0442

Pérez, Amada Irma. My Very Own Room: Mi propio cuartito. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Maya Cristina González. ISBN 0-89239-164-2, $15.95.

Pérez’s story presents many aspects of Mexican-American culture in a lighthearted way. This book has enormous potential for being an instrumental tool for cross-cultural class discussions. Many students are unfamiliar with the idea of sharing a bedroom with five other siblings. However, for many Latino and other immigrant families, large family size and extended family households necessitate the sharing of rooms and beds. Students would be able to respond to issues such as large multigenerational families, modest circumstances, and the need for personal space from siblings.

The book is illustrated with extremely vibrant colors and warm facial expressions. The integration of both Spanish and English text into the illustrations is very well done. Offering students both language versions on opposite pages will aid in complete comprehension of all aspects of the story. Younger readers can listen to the story out loud, in both languages, while enjoying the illustrations. Older students will be able to test their comprehension of the Spanish story, with the security of the English version. The opposite would be true for children fluent in Spanish, learning English.

Many relevant themes are shown in this book, such as the importance of family, the joys of reading, and the need for self-identity and personal space. Teachers of almost all grade levels will find this book an asset to cultural lessons and second language comprehension.

—Michèle Pollard
Academy of the Holy Names, _Albany, N.Y.

09-4-0443

Pilegard, Virginia Walton. The Warlord’s Puzzle. Gretna, La.: Pelican Publishing Co., 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Nicolas Debon. ISBN 1-56554-495-1, $14.95.

This delightful folktale concerns the origin of the tangram puzzle. The geometric shapes, which we often take for granted, were once the subject of a great controversy and a fateful contest. The author tells a story about a fierce and cruel warlord who ruled over China. When an artist brings him a beautiful blue tile, the warlord is happy, but only for a few minutes. Unfortunately, the artist accidentally drops the tile and breaks it into several pieces. While the king is considering torture, jail, or death for the artist, the artist convinces him to hold a contest and invite the person who can put it together to move into the castle.

Crowds of scholars and people of all professions line up by the king’s palace to try the puzzle. However, they are totally confused and unsuccessful. Only a poor fisherman and his son who can no longer fish that day because of the crowds taking up their space save the artist’s life and solve the problem. The young son sees the pieces on the floor and plays with them like a toy or a puzzle. As the warlord, artist, and scholars are arguing, the boy quietly plays his game and puts the pieces back together. The shapes are joined into what is known today as a tangram.

The young boy is able to give back to his father and his teachers who have taught him basic shapes. By solving this puzzle, he and his father are given great wealth and are able to live in the palace with the warlord. They have also saved the artist’s life by rejoining the pieces of the beautiful tile. From being a young peasant, the boy can now be instrumental in helping the family live in a more comfortable lifestyle.

The illustrations beautifully capture the mood of this legend. The reader gains an appreciation for the relationships of geometric shapes and the challenge of solving puzzles with them. The reader also gains insight into the idea that sometimes the most humble, modest, and hardworking people are those who are able to achieve success. Because they were not chasing after wealth, the boy and his father were able to win the contest and achieve more than enough to satisfy their needs.

—Hannah M. Heller
Woodstock (Md.) Job Corps

09-4-0444

San Souci, Robert D. The Secret of the Stones. New York: Penguin Putnam/ Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by James Ransome. ISBN 0-8037-1640-0, $16.99.

This folktale is based on several sources, including an African-American folktale from Arkansas and a Bantu legend. The story, which is filled with suspense, surprise, charms, and spells, begins when Clara and John, a loving and hardworking couple who are also childless, stumble on two white stones while cultivating cotton and tending a vegetable patch. Clara later decides to use the stones to sharpen her knives. The next day they head to work and return home to find that someone has swept their cabin and porch, ironed their clothes, drawn water from the creek, and performed other chores.

On several occasions they rush home to try to discover who is cleaning their house and doing the yard work. After this occurs for a period of time, the puzzled couple is approached by a neighbor, Aunt Easter, who "could work charms" and "had prophesyin’ dreams." She informs them that there’s a spell connected to the stones involving two orphan children. Aunt Easter gives the couple a remedy for breaking the spell, which leads them to confront a menacing and sinister conjure man. Clara and John follow Aunt Easter’s directions; however, the conjure man begins to suspect something. The subsequent turn of events is both fun and suspenseful. Once the spell is broken, John and Clara realize a dream come true.

The Secret of the Stones is a heartwarming story about love and courage with all the right ingredients for a winning tale. Award-winning author San Souci is no stranger to folklore adaptations. He wrote Fa Mulan, a retelling of a Chinese legend that was the basis for the Disney film Mulan. Ransome’s striking oil paintings vividly complement this folktale. Readers young and old will be held spellbound by this captivating narrative.

—Valerie A. Canady
Johnston, R.I.

09-4-0445

Skármeta, Antonio. The Composition. Toronto: Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Alfonso Ruano. ISBN 0-88899-390-0, $16.95.

The acclaimed Chilean author’s short story about the dilemma of a young boy in a brutal dictatorship has appeared in various publications in Spanish and English, most recently in A Walk in My World: International Short Stories about Youth (Anne Mazer, ed.; Persea Books, 1998). This picture book version has been edited for readers third grade and up. The translator and editor have removed explicit language and specific information about the country where the story takes place.

Pedro enjoys playing soccer but is disappointed when his parents can only afford an inexpensive imitation ball. While he is playing with his friends one afternoon, police arrest his friend Daniel’s father for speaking out against the dictatorship. That night Pedro learns that his own parents are against the dictatorship and that they listen to clandestine radio programs at night. The next day, a military official comes to class and announces a mandatory essay contest with an award for the best essay. The topic: "What my family does at night." Pedro wants to win a real soccer ball, but too many of his friends’ fathers have been arrested lately, and he doesn’t know what to write.

Even without the explicit words, the story has many realistic and earthy details that make it of special interest to boys. While the problems Pedro faces are unfamiliar to most children in the United States, the appealing story and well-rendered illustrations make this book an excellent starting point for a discussion of human rights and of the way children have been used in many countries to inform on parents. Because of its origins as an adult/young adult story, this title is also an excellent choice for teenagers and adults who are learning to read in English.

—Lyn Miller-Lachmann

09-4-0446

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. Mama Elizabeti. New York: Lee & Low, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Christy Hale. ISBN 1-58430-002-7, $15.95.

Stuve-Bodeen has teamed up again with Hale to create a follow-up to the 1998 Elizabeti’s Doll. In Mama Elizabeti, the author focuses on the responsibilities of motherhood, continuing a biographical story of a young girl whom she met while a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania.

Elizabeti no longer plays mother with her rock. She has the duty to take care of her brother. Unlike her rock doll, Elizabeti’s brother is not cooperative or docile. He pulls her hair, dumps her rice, soils her clean laundry, and spills her water container. She discovers that babysitting can even be dangerous when she loses track of her brother. This story, like the previous one, is engaging. Many of the situations of the first book are parallel to those of the second book, which enables teachers to elaborate on family values in rural East African communities.

The illustrations provide an excellent view of rural Tanzania and the work of young and old women, such as carrying water and cooking. The soft, earthy tones of the illustrations provide a sense of peace and tranquillity. The illustrations also give insights into the settings of daily life such as the well and marketplace. The two books together provide a good example of informal education for girls in rural Tanzania. However, this book, in contrast to the previous one, is more realistic of current life in Tanzania. Thus, it receives a higher recommendation.

—Patricia S. Kuntz
Madison, Wis.

09-4-0447

Weatherford, Carole Boston. The Sound That Jazz Makes. New York: Walker, 2000. 32 pp. Illus. by Eric Velásquez. ISBN 0-8027-8720-7, $16.95.

Music is a vital part of African-American and American culture, with a history all its own. The Sound That Jazz Makes takes us on an illustrated and historical journey through pivotal moments in the African-American experience. Weatherford clearly demonstrates the continuing influence of jazz, the basis of all African-American music, including gospel, rap, and R&B, in a rhythmic, poetic format.

The influences on jazz date back to Africa amid the sounds of the drums and kalimba. The journey carries us aboard the slave ships and on the "field where slaves turned the soil, and chanted of freedom while they toiled." The poetry describes farmers who pluck their banjos, cakewalkers who strut to a ragtime beat, and the "Delta blues man whose guitar whines, who howls of heartbreak and hard times."

Along the way we also meet Louis Armstrong aboard the steamboat Dixie Queen. There are vivid portraits and lyrical references to Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holliday. The Harlem nightclub is captured as well as the famous Apollo Theater. The important influence of jazz has even reached today’s hip-hop and rap artists. The lyrics are as colorful as Velásquez’s richly textured illustrations, which seem to leap off the page. Each double-page spread showcases a collage of people, places, and events. The rousing gospel section features a joyful hand-clapping choir along with interior and exterior scenes of the church. The cover illustration, which reflects the combined images of how music evolved, is stunning. The Sound That Jazz Makes is highly recommended.

—Valerie A. Canady
Johnston, R.