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Time - Man of the Year
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1993-04-08
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BOOKS, Page 68Kid-Lit Capers
An edible sky, a talking dog and other delights for young
imaginations
By STEFAN KANFER
THE FORTUNE-TELLERS by Lloyd Alexander, illustrated by
Trina Schart Hyman (Dutton; $15). In Cameroon a young carpenter
consults the town fortune-teller. "You're going to pay me a nice
fee," the seer predicts. What he doesn't foresee is that the
laborer will end up as the town fortune-teller. This ingenious
adventure suggests the magic of the Arabian Nights.
OSCAR DE MEJO'S ABC (HarperCollins; $17). Year after year,
the alphabet book is reinterpreted for new readers. This year's
freshest version is a series of 26 deceptively simple paintings
that celebrate scenes of Americana. B is for the Boston Tea
Party; J is for Jazz; P is for Patrick Henry; S is for the
Statue of Liberty; U is for Umpire. And X? That stands for Xmas,
of course. May yours be merry and bright.
WHERE DOES IT GO? by Margaret Miller (Greenwillow; $14).
Where does Justin put his toothbrush? Through the apple? On the
teddy bear? No, he puts it in his mouth! More instructions
follow, about the placement of books, bicycles, pillows and
dolls. The text tries a little too hard to be nonsexist, but the
photographs are pleasing and the lessons are painless.
BOODIL MY DOG by Pija Lindenbaum, retold by Gabrielle
Charbonnet (Henry Holt; $14.95). Here is a bull terrier with
real star power. As the perky illustrations demonstrate, she
sleeps all day, hogs the best chair, is afraid of rain and
regards the vacuum cleaner as an enemy. Yet the child narrator
looks upon her pet as a blend of heroine and best friend. Boodil
would agree, and so will any reader with a lazy and lovable
mutt.
LI'L SIS AND UNCLE WILLIE by Gwen Everett (Rizzoli;
$13.95). One magic summer, Li'l Sis' Uncle Willie -- a painter
en route to New York CityQstops off in the South. Through his
eyes the child sees a new world of colors and culture. Uncle
Willie was William Johnson, a real African-American artist, and
this biography artfully employs his work to enlighten as it
entertains.
THE CATARACT OF LODORE by Robert Southey, illustrated by
David Catrow (Henry Holt; $15.95). The author, who lived from
1774 to 1843, is one of England's forgotten poet laureates. Yet
Southey's story The Three Bears has endured for more than 100
years. Now another of his children's tales is resurrected,
thanks to David Catrow's lively paintings. The rhythms and
sights of a waterfall should lull and delight young readers well
into the next century.
THE STINKY CHEESE MAN by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
(Viking; $16). It was inevitable: revisionism has come to
children's literature. In this collection the ugly duckling
grows up to be an ugly duck, Cinderella's sisters win, and the
frog prince croaks.The comedy depends on a knowledge of the
original stories; given that, the pictures are obvious and
excessive. In other words, ideal kid stuff.
MARTHA SPEAKS by Susan Meddaugh (Houghton Mifflin;
$13.95). Martha, your average family pooch, eats the alphabet
soup and starts speaking fluent English. Trouble is, she won't
stop. Finally the family rises up and orders her to shut up.
Which Martha does, until the day a burglar comes to call ... The
whimsical author-illustrator gets an occasional case of the
cutes. Usually, however, she is wise enough to let the tale wag
the dog.
MIRETTE ON THE HIGH WIRE by Emily Arnold McCully (Putnam;
$14.95). In Mama's boardinghouse, little Mirette is surrounded
by famous acrobats. None is more attractive than M. Bellini, a
tightrope walker who has suddenly lost his courage. Mirette can
restore it, but only if she accompanies him on his walk over the
rooftops of Paris. Wistful watercolors evoke turn-of-the-century
France, and the narrative is as taut as the high wire itself.
WHY THE SKY IS FAR AWAY by Mary-Joan Gerson, illustrated
by Carla Golembe (Little, Brown; $15.95). According to an
ancient Nigerian tale, the sky was once so close to the earth
that folks could take a bite. It was delicious. But people grew
self-indulgent and wasteful, and the sky decided to seek
revenge. This apt retelling is abetted by brilliant
illustrations that seem to radiate their own heat and light.