Review by Booklist Review
K-Gr. 3. In seventeenth-century Holland, young Hana watches her wealthy father succumb to tulipomania. Every evening, instead of playing with Hana, Papa worries with his associates over the precious bulbs that might have been onions. Hana tries to lift Papa's spirits with small tokens--a sprig of rosemary, a chain of daisies--but his mood, and his fortunes, only worsen. Then Hana learns from family friend Rembrandt that painters support their families by creating pictures. Hana paints a rare tulip, presents it to Papa (I will paint for our bread and butter like Rembrandt and his pupils ), and finally Papa smiles again. Children may need help understanding how tulips fit into Papa's distress. But Noyes tells an unusual story with appealing rhythm and rich, fanciful language, while Ibatoulline's exquisite paintings and ink drawings evoke the historical setting and lively characters with an old master's precise attention to light, form, shadow, and texture. With few titles about Rembrandt available for this age group, this is a fine choice for introducing the artist and his time period. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Noyes (It's Vladimir!) tells the story of a girl whose father, caught up in Holland's tulip mania, puts his finances ahead of his love for her. Ibatoulline's (The Animal Hedge) meticulously executed gouaches and ink vignettes pay homage to the Dutch masters: their use of lustrous golds and browns, their proclivity for painting subjects illuminated by candlelight and their careful attention to domestic interiors. Tiny, lace-capped Hana works to free her father from the greed that overtakes him when he begins to speculate in tulip bulbs. The details of their relationship before the craze provide the story's strongest moments. On a bench in the garden every evening, Papa obediently faints dead away, whereupon "Hana the Renowned Physician" revives him; then "Hana prescribed a kiss. Or a race to the woodpile. Or a noseful of roses." Her efforts to attract his attention as he drifts into the world of high finance make her a sympathetic heroine even if the writing grows overblown ("Papa forgot to kiss the tip of her nose, which twitched with waiting"). Younger readers who will likely be daunted by the dense text, may wonder what has happened to Papa-is he sick? A criminal? It's hard to explain in simple words, though Mama tries ("A tulip's beauty is great, but greed is greater"). Papa's love, restored in the conclusion, will likely reassure youngsters, however, and Ibatoulline's paintings provide unalloyed pleasure. Ages 6-10. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-It is the time of the tulips, and little Hana misses the attention previously given to her by her now much-distracted, dejected, tulipomaniac father. These days, he is interested only in wealth and trade, bulbs and business; Hana and her dog are banished from the North Garden where Papa's flowers, which once brought pleasure, grow. Noyes's unaffected child's-eye view of the baffling turn of events that drove Holland's economy to collapse focuses on family and on the innocent concern of a child for her father: he is sad, and her simple and fondest wish is to make him smile again. The illustrations are a haunting homage to Rembrandt, who has a peripheral role in the story and whose art typifies the day. Ibatoulline's paintings demonstrate the flexibility of his acrylic-gouache work, which so perfectly mimics Rembrandt's oils, inks, and bistre washes, and which deftly incorporates the chiaroscuro that was central to the master's work. Endpaper scapes of the cottages and canals he loved so well effect an instant time-slip, and the rich, atmospheric portrait work is eloquent. This introduction to a curious time and curious events includes a brief author's note that offers more concrete information on the tulipomania that seized 17th-century Holland (albeit for an older audience), and it functions as a fine vehicle for Ibatoulline's talents. Perhaps a bit esoteric for the elementary school set, but beautiful, nonetheless.-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In seventeenth-century Holland, young Hana endeavors to raise her father+s spirits as the over-inflated tulip market crashes and his crops become worthless. Noyes+s heartfelt but overwrought prose complicates a complex subject, and the large cast of characters does little to enhance the story. Lush paintings reminiscent of the Dutch masters splendidly evoke period landscapes, homes, and costumes. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A tour de force for the artist, but a story that doesn't quite hang together. Ibatoulline has immersed himself in the style of Rembrandt and other Dutch masters, so that his acrylic gouache paintings have their rich gold glow, and his smaller pen-and-ink pieces are a beautiful homage to Rembrandt's vibrant line. But the tale, which attempts a view of 17th-century tulipomania from a child's point of view, is odd. Young Hana sees that her father is so preoccupied with trading and selling the precious bulbs that he no longer pays attention when he kisses her goodnight. She asks Cook and Mama and Gardener how to cheer him, and they offer her sprigs of rosemary, daisies, and fireflies. But it's family friend Rembrandt himself who gives Hana the idea to paint the tulip her father is so obsessed with, and he finds solace there even as his investments in the tulips disappear. Children (and adults) may not quite follow the story, since the resolution seems overly simple, but both will thrill to the beauty of the pictures and the tender concern of a child for her father. (author's note) (Picture book. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
