PDF - Christian Library Journal

PICTURE BOOKS
welcomed at a courtyard where a bonfire blazes
and the empty manger awaits them. But the
couple who portrayed Maria and José disappear.
Just then Lupe and Roberto arrive to sit by the
empty manger. They wonder who took their
place in the procession.
Meanwhile, Sister Angie awakens and walks to
church. She sees fresh footprints in the snow
leading to the door. Inside, she kneels and prays
by the wooden carvings of Maria and José. She
notices their cloaks are covered with fresh snow.
Unknown to her, a miracle had saved Las
Posadas.
The artwork is done in acrylic on handmade
watercolor paper. The paintings are simple but
capture the spirit of the story. A short glossary
of Spanish words is included. Children will
enjoy this unique tale with surprise ending.
Lydia E. Harris, Freelance Writer, Former Teacher, Seattle,
Washington
One more time, Mama, by Sue Alexander;
illustrated by David Soman. LCCN
98047937. Tarrytown, N.Y.: Cavendish
Children’s Books, Marshall Cavendish,
1999. ISBN 0761450513, HBB, $15.95.
E. Nature--Fiction; Mother and child--Fiction. 32 p.
Small children.
Mama begins waiting during winter when the
winds swirl the snow and the bears begin their
long sleep. She continues to wait as the ice on
the pond thaws and the daffodils begin to bloom.
Goslings and ducklings hatch, wild roses grow,
and summer thunder booms, but Mama still
must wait. It is only when the fall winds blow
and the apples ripen on the trees that Mama’s
wait comes to an end, for it is then that her
daughter is finally born.
One More Time, Mama, by Sue Alexander is a
mother’s loving account of the wait for her
daughter’s birth. Prompted by her daughter’s
request that she tell the story "one more time,"
the mother beautifully describes the seasons that
pass by during her pregnancy. Although
beautiful, at times the abundant imagery used to
describe the plant and animal life of each season
seems too advanced and detailed for the young
audience to whom this type of book generally
appeals. However, David Soman’s watercolor
illustrations are lovely and do a wonderful job of
depicting both nature and the love that exists
between the mother and daughter. Like Jamie
Lee Curtis’ Tell Me Again About the Night I Was
Born, this is a book for parents and children to
share together to remember the uniqueness of
their child’s birth and, as a result, the uniqueness
of the child herself.
Kerri Cunningham, Librarian, Camano Island, Washington
Pillow of dreams, by Peter Jan
Honigsberg; illustrated by Tony Morse.
LCCN 99093454. Oakland, Calif.: RDR
Books, 1999. ISBN 1571430768, HBB,
$17.95.
E. Dreams--Fiction; Pillows--Fiction. unp. Small
children.
Margaret Bunny’s pillow allows her to have
wonderful, exciting dreams. Newberry Mole is
jealous and steals the pillow from Margaret
Bunny so that he can have dreams that will
make him money. Newberry discovers that his
dreams from the stolen pillow do not give him
wealth and pleasure because he feels so guilty
about the way he acquired the pillow. After
returning the pillow to Margaret Bunny,
Newberry Mole is invited to stay for cake and
ice cream and is even sent home with an extra
piece! That night Newberry Mole decides to try
his own worn out pillow and discovers
wonderful dreams full of rainbows and other
good things. Newberry learns that it is better to
have your own dreams that to steal someone
else’s dreams.
Peter Jan Honigsberg has written a story that
works well for very young children. The issue
of theft is clear and the moral intentional.
Rewards derive from your own work and
belongings, not from things stolen. Tony Morse
has drawn pictures that are filled with soft colors
and just enough detail to be interesting and to
avoid being overwhelming for young children.
Barbara Wall, School Library System Director, Oswego County
BOCES, Mexico, New York
Red berry wool, by Robyn Eversole;
paintings by Tim Coffey. LCCN
99010696. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert
Whitman, 1999. ISBN 0807506540, HBB,
$15.95.
E. Sheep--Fiction; Wool--Fiction; Shepherds--Fiction.
30 p. Small children.
When Lalo, the smartest lamb in the flock, tries
to make his wool look like Boy’s red berry wool
sweater he encounters all kinds of problems.
Lalo’s mother tells him wool must be washed,
spun, dyed, and knitted to become a sweater like
the Boy’s.
First Lalo tries to wash his wool, but falls in the
drinking pond and gets his nose full of water.
The Boy rescues him and dries him off. When
Lalo tries to spin his wool he gets dizzy and falls
into a thorn bush. Again the Boy rescues him.
Gently he pulls the thorns out of Lalo’s wool.
Not at all discouraged, Lalo goes off to find a
red berry bush to dye his wool. But, when he
rolls in the berry bush to dye his wool, a snake
bites him and he can’t get up. Boy hears him
calling for help and carries him home. Lalo
discovers knitting is the best part of making a
sweater, because it means to bring together. He
sits at the pond with the Boy and together the
friends watch the sunset turn everything berry
red.
Robyn Eversole’s story of an adventurous little
lamb and the gentle little boy who cares for him
is a delightful story of friendship. Because the
book is designed with only a few well-chosen
sentences on each page, there are many bright
happy pictures to keep young readers interested.
Tim Coffey’s expressive paintings, of the little
lamb and the Boy in the red wool sweater, add
wonderful detail and color. Painted swirls in the
grass show where Lalo was spinning.
Patchwork colored fields and hills dotted with
sheep and villages bring visual interest to the
story.
Barbara Bryden, Freelance Writer, Olympia, Washington
When Addie was scared, by Linda and
Wendy Bailey. Toronto, Ont.: Kids Can
Press, 1999. ISBN 1550744313, HBB,
$14.95.
E. Fear--Fiction; Grandmothers--Fiction. 24 p. Small
children.
Fear is an awful, controlling thing, and Addie
was controlled by it. There were many real
dangers for Addie, but she often trembled at
things that couldn’t really harm her, like the
lonely cry of the wolf at night, or a distant
thunder storm. She would walk an extra mile to
get to her beloved grandmother’s farm, just so
she could skirt around the big bull in a
neighbor’s field. Life was very hard for Addie
and her fears.
One important day when she was feeding her
grandmother’s chickens, an attacking chicken
hawk gave her an extreme fright. But just as she
was about to run and hide, something wonderful
happened inside of her. Addie found a special
courage tucked way down deep that allowed her
to pick up a branch and scare the hawk away.
This was a turning point for Addie. She still had
some fears, fears of real dangers, but she also
knew that she carried around inside of her a
courage that would be there whenever she really
needed it.
This true-life tale, When Addie was Scared, is
written as quick, exciting prose. The tale
unfolds the importance of love and
encouragement as Linda Bailey relates this tale
about her mother when she was growing up in
the 1930’s on a northern prairie farm. The
homespun tale portrays a common struggle with
fear that many children may face. It will
encourage children to discover that you have
what it takes to face these fears right inside of
you. The realistic illustrations by Wendy Bailey
are appealing and intriguing with their detail and
warmth. The situations presented allow for
good discussion about different types of fears
and how to deal with them.
Mary McKinney, Former Teacher, Freelance Writer, Editor, Port
Orchard, Washington
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