Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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Hl ILLINOI S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. g·,i~~rsr~~ ~:s~ r$l" .. · · ~· il"lr r University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois Press A wc^" .y" C. W I School Library Journal stars Marvin's Best Christmas Present Ever An I Can Read Book® by Newbery Medalist Full-colorpictures by KATHERINE PATERSON JANE CLARK BROWN irvin's family oves the wreath he makes for the outside of their trailer.And, after a bird makes her nest in it, Marvin's Christmas present is one his family nay keep forever. ients of giving and s choice to he one of the best presents of the season."-SLJ "The holiday message of rebirth and renewal is part of the story which Paterson tells in simple words without condescension. Brown's pictures extend the family warmth and fun." -AIABooklist Ages 4-8. $14.95 TR (0-06-027159-0) $14.89 LB (0-06-027160-4) KatherinePaterson's earlier I Can Read Book about Marvin THE SMALLEST COW IN THE WORLD Full-color pictures by Jane Clark Brown Ages 4-8. $3.75 PB (0-06-444164-4) f HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022 ___ THE B UL LE T IN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS December 1997 Vol.51 No. 4 A LOOK INSIDE 115 THE BIG PICTURE Noah's Ark Adapted by Heinz Janisch and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger 116 NEW BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE Reviewed titles include: 124 * I Was Born a Slave: The Story ofHarrietJacobs by Jennifer Fleischner; illus. by Melanie Reim 131 * What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? written and illus. by Steve Jenkins 133 * Rome Antics written and illus. by David Macaulay 133 * Unicorns! Unicorns! by Geraldine McCaughrean; illus. by Sophie Windham 137 * Mouse Mess written and illus. by Linnea Riley 145 PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS 146 SUBJECT AND USE INDEX EXPLANATION OF CODE SYMBOLS USED WITH REVIEWS * Asterisks denote books of special distinction. R Recommended. Ad Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. M Marginal book that is so slight in content or has so many weaknesses in style or format that it should be given careful consideration before purchase. NR Not recommended. SpC Subject matter or treatment will tend to limit the book to specialized collections. SpR A book that will have appeal for the unusual reader only. Recommended for the special few who will read it. The Bulletin of the Centerfor Children's Books (ISSN 0008-9036) is published monthly except August by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. REVIEWING STAFF Janice M. Del Negro, Editor (JMD) Deborah Stevenson, Assistant Editor (DS) Betsy Hearne, Consulting Editor and Faculty Liaison (BH) Elizabeth Bush, Reviewer (EB) Pat Mathews, Reviewer (PM)) CENTER STAFF Shirley Chan Jennifer Sherwood DeBaillie Linda Fenster Kate McDowell Reviewers' initials are appended to reviews. SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 year, institutions, $40.00; individuals, $35.00. In countries other than the United States, add $7.00 per subscription for postage. Japanese subscription agent: Kinokuniya Company Ltd. Single copy rate: $4.50. Reprinted volumes 1-35 (1947-1981) available from Kraus Reprint Co., Route 100, Millwood, NY 10546. Volumes available in microfilm from University Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Complete volumes available in microfiche from Johnson Associates, P.O. Box 1017, Greenwich, CT 06830. Subscription checks should be made payable to the University of Illinois Press. All notices of change of address should provide both the old and new address. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. Subscription Correspondence. Address all inquiries about subscriptions and advertising to University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. Editorial Correspondence. Review copies and all correspondence about reviews should be sent to Janice Del Negro, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 51 E. Armory Ave., Champaign, IL 61820-6601. E-mail: [email protected] Visit our homepage at http://edfu.lis.uiuc.edu/pubofflbccb Periodicals postage paid at Champaign, Illinois © 1997 by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Drawings by Debra Bolgla. This publication is printed on acid-free paper. Cover illustration by Lisbeth Zwerger, from Noah's Ark ©1997 by Michael Neugebauer Verlag AG, Gossau Zurich, Switzerland. Reprinted with permission of North-South Books. DECEMBER 1997 * 115 THE BIG PICTURE Noah's Ark ad. by Heinz Janisch; illus. by Lisbeth Zwerger The story of Noah's Ark has been retold countless times in countless ways. It is one of those mystical tales with an awesomely cosmic element: God's chosen man given the sweeping task of surviving impending universal devastation. This faith- ful retelling for children eschews the warm and fuzzy feelings of some past rendi- tions and allows readers glimpses into the cold reality of a doomed world: "I will destroy them all," says God, "and cleanse the world of evil. Every living thing shall perish." This is serious stuff, and Janisch never pretends otherwise. Zwerger's restrained artistic tone complements Janisch's almost matter- of-fact text. The graceful, spare illustrations give a powerful sense of antediluvian place and time where unicorns, giants, and satyrs once co-inhabited the earth with man and beast. As they wander by the shipbuilding site, one cannot help but ponder their destiny. A particularly haunting pre-flood spread opens the book, showing smoking towers dotting a barren landscape littered with weapons and bones while storks hover overhead; the facing page seems to give heaven's view- point, peering down at Noah's family who stand huddled together like homeless refugees. Noah, looking like an old European grandpapa, receives his divine mis- sion as his family surrounds him in a show of solidarity. Zwerger's rendering of this solitary little group gazing heavenward serves to emphasize the gravity of the situation and their singular involvement in it, as God tells them, "But with you I will make a covenant. You will survive. With you life will begin again after the flood." "From all corners of the earth the animals streamed into the ark, and there was room for all of them." Laudably, there is an absence of cuteness here. Animal duos are often presented in a diagram style reminiscent of early bestiaries, which is especially suited to the continental mood established throughout the book. Other animal pairs are portrayed decorously proceeding toward the ark. They too seem charged by a sense of the import of Noah's commission as they steadfastly beat a path to Noah's great naval wonder. Foggy grays and earthtones serve a subtle role as background for the deep pigment of the orange-red ark. The artist uses this contrast to great advantage, as the brilliant color emphasizes the ark's redemptive role. The ship eerily casts its pale red reflection in the falling rain while umbrella-laden citizens rush by. The question begging an answer is, where are they rushing to? Scenes where desperate citizens cling to rooftops powerfully depict the horror of being left behind. One affecting spread shows the ark above water with occupants safely aboard ("But they had many, many days to wait, floating above 116 * THE BULLETIN the flooded world. It seemed the rain would never stop"), while below sea crea- tures enjoy a swim through the windows of empty buildings. The human tragedy is stark and palpable. Finally, "Noah opened the great door of the ark, and the animals streamed out. And Noah left the ark with his wife, his sons, and his sons' wives. God blessed them, and said: 'Never again will I make a great flood to cover the whole earth. The seasons will return: seedtime and harvest, summer and winter."' As the released animals hurry to their future and the more ecstatic ones leap upon the dry hills, the biblical absoluteness of this story reaches its climax. The jubilance of the saved is especially potent following closely after such all-encompassing loss. This is an extraordinary Noah's Ark: so somber, so beautiful, so clever, so worth sharing. Do. (Imprint information appears on p. 130.) Pat Mathews, Reviewer NEW BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ADLER, DAVID A. Chanukah in Chelm; illus. by Kevin O'Malley. Lothrop, 1997 32p Library ed. ISBN 0-688-09953-X $1593 Trade ed. ISBN 0-688-09952-1 $16.00 R 5-7 yrs Meet Berel the carpenter: "I walked away for a moment, and now I don't remem- ber which end of the ladder is the top and which is the bottom. .. If I set the ladder against the apple tree and the ladder is upside down, then when I think I'm climbing up the ladder, I'll really be climbing down. And when I think I'm going down, I'll really be going up." Every Chelmite has a special take on confusion, especially Mendel, the caretaker of the synagogue, who looks everywhere-under the table, over the table, and behind the table-for a table on which to put the menorah. This is the exuberantly funny story of his success, and it's a worthy successor to Isaac Bashevis Singer's irreverent tales of the foolish Chelmites who resemble no one so much as ourselves.