Reviews: Picture Books, 4 & up
Wendy E. Betts
Sing, Sophie! by Dayle Ann Dodds. Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger.
The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman. Illustrated by Marla
Frazee
Knee-High Norman by Laurence Anholt. Illustrated by Arthur Robbins
Harry at the Garage written and illustrated by Derek Radford
M.C. Turtle and the Hip Hop Hare: a Nursery Rap by David Vozar.
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
NOTES FROM THE WINDOWSILL ISSN 1078-8697
An electronic journal of book reviews. Copyright 1997 Wendy E. Betts.
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Vol. 5, No. 8f Picture Books, ages 4 & up 8/19/97
__ Sing, Sophie!_ by Dayle Ann Dodds. Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger.
Candlewick, 1997 (0-7636-0131-4) $15.99
Little Sophie Adams loves to sing--she's a cowgirl through and
through. The only trouble is, no one wants to hear her: her pa says
her singing makes the cow fidgety, her brother says her caterwauling
scares the fish away, and her sister says the racket makes her fluffy
hairdo fall flat as a flapjack. But when Baby Jacob is afraid of a
storm and won't stop crying, brave cowgirl Sophie has a song for him
that's louder than thunder and stronger than lightning.
This is a hilarious read-aloud, with each one of Sophie's heartfelt
ditties funnier than the last: "My kite got stuck, I ate a bug, I
spilled red cider on the rug. But I'm a cowgirl tried and true,
yippee-ky-yee! Yippee-ky-yuu!" But the songs are more than funny: a
genuine spirit of confidence and independence shines though in
Sophie's words. The stylized, offbeat watercolor illustrations wind
up seeming a little slight in comparison, not quite doing justice to the
world of such a strong heroine--although Sophie herself, a small figure in
a cowboy hat that's as big as she is, is certainly hard to forget. This is
a must for those looking for good books about strong girls. (4-8)
__ The Seven Silly Eaters_ by Mary Ann Hoberman. Illustrated by Marla
Frazee. Browndeer/Harcourt Brace, 1997 (0-15-200096-8) $15.00
Mrs. Peters and her husband love lots of kids... but as their family
grows, so do her problems. Because every single one of the seven
young Peters is an absolutely impossibly picky eater: Peter only
likes warm milk, Lucy will only drink pink lemonade (homemade), Mac
will only eat oatmeal--and if it has a single lump, he dumps it on the
cat! Mrs. Peters is wearing herself to a frazzle cooking for them
all. Then one day, all seven of the Peters children try to make their
mom a birthday surprise of all the foods they love best--and the
result is a wonderful dish that solves all their eating problems.
This gleefully silly rhyming story is a delight for picky eaters and
easy eaters alike, the only moral being that the whole family learns
to help make their meals, and leave Mrs. Peters some time to play her
cello. Crisp pen & ink and watercolor illustrations show a casual,
comfortable-looking family in a home that reflects the realities of
living with seven kids, with toys scattered around, laundry that
sometimes piles up and bathroom doors that aren't always closed; the
children's room, completely filled by two beds, two cribs, bunk beds
and a loft, is a particularly funny touch. (4-8)
__ Knee-High Norman_ by Laurence Anholt. Illustrated by Arthur Robbins.
Candlewick, 1996 (1-56402-841-0) $4.99 pb
There were once five giants: Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum--and Norman. Norman's
not big and strong like the other giants--in fact, truth to tell, he's
not really a giant at all. He bathes in a boot and sleeps in a sock,
and the other giants call him "Knee-High Norman." But since he likes
math and drawing and inventing things, Norman is pretty important;
he's the one who draws "tiny but careful plans for enormous and
wonderful new castles" that the other giants build. And when the
other giants start to feel that they're the only ones doing hard work,
they soon discover how indispensable Knee-High Norman really is.
Written in an appealingly matter-of-fact tone that never gets
didactic, this oddball fairy tale is a fun reminder that both brains
and brawn can be valuable qualities. The pen & ink and watercolor
illustrations are appropriately silly, with comically scraggly
characters and an eye for amusing detail.
__ Harry at the Garage_ written and illustrated by Derek Radford.
Candlewick, 1995 (1-56402-564-0) $11.95; 1997 (0-7636-0157-8) $6.99 pb
(reprinted from the hardcover review, volume 3, number 11e)
This book takes a fairly technical look at the details of car repair.
Harry Hippo's car needs a tune-up, so he takes his kids, Charlie and
Rosie, to the garage. There the lucky kids get to see all the kinds
of work that go on in a garage, to learn about the different parts
under the hood, and even to see a smashed car get pulled back into
shape, spot welded and repainted.
Stylistically, this is a very old-fashioned sort of book (although
just modern enough to have a female hippo working at the garage). The
human-like characters all smile brightly and all look alike---the
females, of course, having earrings and big bows on their heads to
distinguish them from the males. But though the prosaic style of the
text and the conventional illustrations aren't appealing to an adult
audience, young children are far less likely to mind, and they'll
enjoy absorbing the information. Better as an easy reader than a
read-aloud. (4-8/5-8)
__ M.C. Turtle and the Hip Hop Hare: a Nursery Rap_ by David Vozar.
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Doubleday, 1995 (0-385-32157-0) $15.95;
Dell Picture Yearling, 1997 (0-440-41394-X) $5.99 pb
(reprinted from the hardcover review, volume 3, number 9d)
This companion to _Yo, Hungry Wolf!_ (reviewed volume 3, number 5e) is
another very funny mix of old and new kid culture. When Hip Hop Hare
starts "dissing all around, rapping that he is the fastest critter in
town," M.C. ("mostly crawling") Turtle tries to stop his boasting.
Next thing you know, theyÕre set to race and Hip Hop is sure that he's
going to beat him, "rush him, crush him, annihilate and defeat him."
But will he?
A fun and authentic sounding syncopated rhythm keeps this "rap" lively
and entertaining, while Lewin's pictures play hilariously with the
concepts, showing sassy weasels in baggy pants, snakes in backwards
baseball caps and some fine "chicks" in high heels and heart-shaped
sunglasses. I have to admit to some personal concerns over whether
this type of ultra-sophisticated post-modernism is such a good thing
for kids--does it push them into growing up too soon?--but there's no
denying this is one amusing book. (4 & up/6 & up)
--
Wendy E. Betts, Editor, "Notes from the Windowsill."
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"Fairy tales are beautiful, but very confusing." -- Sylvia Waugh