Review by New York Times Review
Keena Ford is a likable new addition to the grade-school class of characters that includes Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones. A second grader with confidence and personality and less sass, Keena goes on a memorable field trip to Washington, where she makes friends with a congressman (though the excursion is not otherwise a success, partly because she knocks him down the Capitol steps: "The field trip was NOT the best ever"). Readers will be happy to accompany Keena on more outings. A FOOT IN THE MOUTH Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout. Selected by Paul B. Janeczko. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Candlewick. $17.99. (Ages 8 to 12) It's not clear how often we need to read "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat," so it's a relief that Janeczko for the most part chooses more surprising poems to go with Raschka's lively palette - as varied as Sandra Cisneros's "Good Hot Dogs" (in Spanish on the facing page) and Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" ("their strong melodious songs"). The effect is fresh and all over the map. WHEN ROYALS WORE RUFFLES A Funny and Fashionable Alphabet. By Chesley McLaren and Pamela Jaber. Illustrated by Chesley McLaren. Schwartz & Wade. $16.99. (Ages 5 to 9) Following the alphabet, this book jumps around a bit in time but contains fascinating tidbits. Under "I" for "illegal intruder," for instance, we learn that "with all the jewels in their wigs," ladies in the 1700s became the target of wig snatchers, and that the Spencer coat (ending at the waist) came about when the Earl of Spencer got too close to a fireplace. With all the makeup, jewels and platform shoes (some 30 inches high, in the 1500s!), the book will appeal mostly to girls - but not only. WHEN THE MOON FORGOT Written and illustrated by Jimmy Liao. English text adapted by Sarah L. Thompson. Little, Brown. $17.99. (All ages) Here's another side of the moon: One night "the moon never rises. The tides grow slow and stop." In Liao's mysterious, bittersweet story, gorgeously and whimsically illustrated, the moon for some reason forgets how to hang in the sky, and many moons arrive to take its place (truckloads of them, rolling into each "sad, dark city"), though none are the right moon. Finally a resourceful boy in a black cat costume helps set things to rights. A MIRROR TO NATURE Poems About Reflection. By Jane Yolen. Photographs by Jason Stemple. Wordsong. $17.95. (Ages 10 to 12) Stemple's stunning pictures find a mirror everywhere they look. "The first mirror was water," as Yolen writes. "Puddles, pools, lakes, quiet rivers." So in "Swimming With Raccoons," the animal is pictured in a still blue pond, two ears up mirrored by two ears down, "doubled, wet, worried." A buck standing in reeds in shallow water really has something to be worried about: "A deer that stays / too long / reflecting / is a deer called / meat." ALMOST ASTRONAUTS 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. By Tanya Lee Stone. Candlewick. $24.99. (Ages 10 and up) Stone's carefully researched book makes the point that in the 1950s and '60s there were "13 women who . . . had the Right Stuff" - but were the wrong sex at the wrong time (in the United States at least; the Soviets sent a woman into space in 1963). "Almost Astronauts" reminds us how many women, in the years after World War II, were seasoned, risk-taking pilots and gives the story behind a NASA program that tested them for spaceflight; even though it was blocked in the end, it blazed the trail for Sally Ride, Eileen Collins and all the rest. JULIE JUST
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [October 27, 2009]
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
McLaren (Zat Cat!) and debut author Jaber cover the fashion waterfront, enlightening readers on both history (the 1910s hobbled skirt is said to be inspired by Katharine Wright, who roped up her voluminous skirt for a ride in the plane built by brothers Wilbur and Orville) and the less tangible aspects of glamour (A is for "attitude"-"all through history, stylish ladies and fashionable men never left home without it"). The commentary is smart and accessible: aspiring Simon Doonans and Nina Garcias will see that bubbly prose need not sound bubbleheaded. Witty as the writing may be, the illustrations are irresistible. Like the best fashion, the lines and colors feel effortlessly right. Genuine intelligence is at work here, too: McLaren understands that the desire to look fabulous can push human beings to extremes-and she loves us all the more for it. Ages 5-9. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-This jauntily illustrated alphabet of all things fabulous will find a willing audience among elementary-age divas already dreaming of careers in the spotlight. With each letter, this historical tour highlights Western trends from the age of Cleopatra through the grunge era of the early '90s. Beginning with the best accessory, "attitude," readers learn about flappers, go-go boots, intruding wig snatchers ("I is for an Illegal Intruder the wig snatcher"), teetering on chopines, and "your very own style." Each heading is accompanied by two or three paragraphs of background information-enough to satisfy casual readers while inspiring the historically inclined to do some further reading. The whimsical gouache and India ink illustrations are a pleasing complement to the sassy text. This book fits cozily between other fashion must-haves like Kate Feiffer's Double Pink (S & S) on the younger end and Leslie Sills's From Rags to Riches (Holiday House, both 2005) for more sophisticated readers. A safe bet wherever little girls love to look lovely.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI (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
This alphabet book is at heart a giddy anecdote-replete celebration of some of history's most bizarre fashion trends (e.g., a bustle equipped with a music box that played "God Save the Queen"), as well as a few mainstays (high heels, nylons). McLaren's gleeful gouache and ink renderings are loose interpretations of the intricate work of the real-life designers behind the featured duds. Bib. (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
McLaren and Jaber's compendium of fashion facts is an A-to-Z exploration of the vagaries of style, ranging from the obscure to the absurd. More historical scandal sheet than alphabet primer, the saucy tidbits of information are geared toward older readers. The alphabetic arrangement functions more as a gimmick than a logical progression, forcing the entries to arbitrarily span centuries and continents; for example, moving from 1926 for "D"as in Coco Chanel's little black dressto 1796 for "E"as in Josephine's scandalous Empire-style gown. While individual entries are intriguing and often amusing, the lack of continuity contributes to an overall sense of disorganization. McLaren's witty gouache-and-ink illustrations are pure fun to peruse, with or without the accompanying text. Dedicated fashion buffs may enjoy this wry look at the fashionable life, but younger readers will find it a challenge to maintain an interest, while older ones may be put off by the picture-book format. (Picture book. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
