A beautifully written story about why Siamese cats are really Chinese cats, and why their faces, ears, paws, and tails turn darker as they grow up. Sagwa, a "pearl white kitten," lived with her parents in the House of the Foolish Magistrate. Sagwa's parents were forced by the Magistrate to write his strict, selfish rules by dipping their tails in ink. When Sagwa falls into an inkpot and walks over one of the Magistrate's Scroll of Rules — the one banning all singing — her paw marks change the meaning of the scroll so that it reads, "People must sing." When the people of the town hear the new rule, they sing in praise of the Foolish Magistrate, which warms his heart and causes him to take back all the old rules. He celebrates what Sagwa has done by opening his house to all stray cats, declaring that they shall eat as much catfish as they wish and that for ever after, "all Chinese cats shall have dark faces, ears, paws, and tails — in honor of the greatest of felines, Sagwa of China." Tan, who collaborated with Schields on her first children's book, The Moon Lady (1992), tells this charming tale perfectly, in language that is both simple and elegant. And Schields's artwork complements the text wonderfully with its traditional Chinese border decorations and colorful, well-drawn characters. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-02-788835-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
The lifecycle of the frog is succinctly summarized in this easy reader for children reading at the late first-grade level. In just one or two sentences per page, Vern details the amazing metamorphosis of the frog from egg to tadpole to adult, even injecting a little humor despite the tight word count. (“Watch out fly! Mmmm!) Large, full-color photographs on white backgrounds clearly illustrate each phase of development. Without any mention of laying eggs or fertilization, the title might be a bit misleading, but the development from black dot egg to full-grown frog is fascinating. A simple chart of the three main lifecycle steps is also included. Lifecycles are part of the standard curriculum in the early elementary grades, and this will be a welcome addition to school and public libraries, both for its informational value and as an easy reader. (Nonfiction/easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-216304-2
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
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