HERBIE'S SECRET SANTA
Petra Mathers, . . Atheneum/Schwartz, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-689-83550-6
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Reviewed on: 09/23/2002
Genre: Religion
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- DODO GETS MARRIEDPetra MathersMathers (A Cake for Herbie) never falters in the fourth book in her consistently engaging series about Lottie the chicken and her Oysterville coterie. Here Dodo, Continue reading »
- LOTTIE'S NEW BEACH TOWEL. In a Best Books citation, PW wrote, "Lottie the chicken finds surprising uses for the beach towel her aunt sends her; Mathers proves that she is as Continue reading »
- SOPHIE AND LOUPetra MathersA mouse takes to the dance floor and overcomes her shyness in a "gently paced story that is sweetly inspirational," said PW. All ages.
Continue reading » - THE FROGS WORE RED SUSPENDERSJack PrelutskyPrelutsky (Awful Ogre's Awful Day) trades his usual giddy hilarity for a tone of gentler glee in this collection of verse. Loosely knit together by U.S. Continue reading »
- STRANGE MR. SATIEM. T. AndersonAnderson (Feed), who fashioned a rags-to-riches biography in Handel Who Knew What He Liked, is on dangerous ground with the Continue reading »
- THE FROG WORE RED SUSPENDERSJack PrelutskyIn these 28 poems that alight everywhere from Tuscaloosa to El Paso, Winnemucca to the Grand Canyon, "the rhymes flow easily, set to a consistently bouncy beat that makes reading them aloud Continue reading »
- The Miraculous Tale of the Two MariesRosemary WellsInspired by a real-life mystery,Wells (the McDuff books) crafts a fanciful imagining of the short earthly lives, and longer Heavenly ones, of two French girls legendary for the miracles they Continue reading »
- Pierre in LoveSara PennypackerIn this très romantique tale, whose misty coastal setting suggests Maine or Nova Scotia, fisherman-rat Pierre longs to express his hidden feelings to Continue reading »
- Button Up!: Wrinkled RhymesAlice SchertleDespite its eye-catching cover and offbeat viewpoint, the “Wrinkled Rhymes” in this collection of poems about clothing have a few too many wrinkles. Each verse is written from the Continue reading »
- Borreguita and the CoyoteThis trickster tale pits a gullible coyote against a deceptively cute lamb. ""Mathers... injects [the] fluid, humorous text with her own deliciously skewed point of view,"" said PW. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- Borreguita and the Coyote: Reading Rainbow BookVerna AardemaThe growing interest in multicultural themes, combined with the seemingly endless supply of folktales from all corners of the world, is a boon for readers, as many of these stories are translated and Continue reading »
- Mrs. Merriwether's Musical CatCarol PurdyPurdy (Least of All) and Mathers (Sophie and Lou; Victor and Christabel) hit some high notes in this picture book about a stray cat's surprising effect on a piano teacher and her pupils. Mrs. Continue reading »
- Aunt Elaine Does the Dance from SpainLeah KomaikoIn frenetic verse, a terpsichorean relative introduces her niece to the glamour of performance; PW commented that ``Mathers's characteristically bold, zany... illustrations adroitly expand on the Continue reading »
- Tell Me a SeasonMary McKenna SiddalsThis unassuming book observes the cycles of a year and a day, moving both through the seasons and through the course of a day-from ""Spring morning"" to ""Winter night."" First-time author Siddals's Continue reading »
- Grandmother Bryant's PocketJacqueline Briggs MartinSet in 1787, this inspiring story tells of a girl's grief at the loss of her dog, and the gradual healing process she undergoes. Eight-year-old Sarah Bryant is racked by nightmares after her beloved Continue reading »
- On Ramon's FarmCampbell GeeslinTaking readers south of the border, Geeslin (In Rosa's Mexico) creates a lively barnyard full of animal sounds in this appealing small-format volume. Every day young Ramon does all his chores while Continue reading »
- Lottie's New Beach TowelPetra MathersIn the spirit of her Sophie and Lou, Mathers captivates readers with this unorthodox oceanside outing starring two charming feathered friends. As Lottie, a chicken, prepares for a picnic with her Continue reading »
- Lottie's New FriendPetra MathersThis tender, funny sequel to Lottie's New Beach Towel has all the charm and quirkiness of the original tale about this winsome chicken--and, because it has a more linear plot, it may prove even more Continue reading »
- How Nanita Learned to Make FlanCampbell GeeslinFrom even a glance at the flan recipe on the endpapers, young readers will guess they're in for a treat--and the author-illustrator team who created On Ramon's Farm doesn't disappoint. Geeslin weaves Continue reading »
- A Cake for HerbiePetra MathersHerbie and Lottie, Mathers's winsome duck-and-chicken duo (Lottie's New Beach Towel; Lottie's New Friend), are in town for groceries when they spy an announcement for a poetry contest. ""A Cake for a Continue reading »
- The Kitchen TalksShirley MozelleDespite an occasional delicious pun, the poems included in Mozelle's (The Pig Is in the Pantry, the Cat Is on the Shelf) culinary collection seem a tad undercooked. An introductory ""Up-Close Continue reading »
- I'm Flying!Alan WadeA boy attaches his math book to a helium balloon and watches excitedly as all his problems drift out of sight forever. This pneumatically inspired solution works well in eliminating other sources of Continue reading »
- Frannie's FruitsLeslie KimmelmanKimmelman's first book is a tribute to a day in the life of a family and their fruit and vegetable stand (named after Frannie, the family dog). Everyone helps out with the regular customers and the Continue reading »
- Block BookSusan Arkin CouturePack rats everywhere will have no trouble identifying with Betsy and Ben, a pair of blocks whose home is so overflowing with found objects (from yo-yos to worn-out appliances) that they are reduced Continue reading »
- Aunt Elaine Does the Dance from SpainLeah KomaikoAn eccentric relative introduces her young niece to the creative worlds of dance and theatre in this peppy picture book. Before her Spanish dance performance, Aunt Elaine brings Katy backstage, where Continue reading »
- Patchwork IslandKarla Kuskin``A clever mother stitched the colors up'' to form the baby's patchwork playground/quilt featured in this gentle picture book. Kuskin's ( Paul and City Dog , both reviewed in Children's Forecasts, Continue reading »
- Mommy Go Away!Lynne JonellIn this swiftly moving tale, told and illustrated from a child's perspective, a boy turns the tables. ""Go away, Mommy!"" says young Christopher, after being ordered around one time too many. He then Continue reading »
- I Need a SnakeLynne Jonell, Lynne TonellFrom the team that produced Mommy Go Away! comes a story for slightly older readers. Robbie yearns for a snake, but his mother won't grant his wish. She's unsuccessful at mollifying him with the Continue reading »
- It's My Birthday, Too!Lynne Jonell, Petra MathersJonell and Mathers hit the bull's-eye with this look at sibling rivalry, which brings together the two lead characters from their earlier books. Christopher, the magically empowered toddler of Mommy Continue reading »
- Mom PieLynne JonellHere's the fourth installment of life in the sharply funny, stick-figure world of Jonell and Mathers (Mommy Go Away!; It's My Birthday, Too!). While Mommy is frantically preparing a Continue reading »
- When Mommy Was MadLynne JonellThis season, several series get new additions. Younger brother Robbie comes up with a plan to improve his mother's mood and saves the rest of the unsuspecting family in When Mommy Was Mad by Lynne Continue reading »
- The McElderry Book of Mother Goose: Revered and Rare RhymesThis fourth title in the McElderry Books series—following compilations of Greek myths, Aesop’s fables, and Grimm’s fairy tales—features more than 50 Mother Goose rhymes, illustrated in watercolor by Continue reading »
- When Aunt Mattie Got Her WingsPetra MathersBest friends Lottie the chicken and Herbie the duck from Lottie’s New Beach Towel and its sequels face the death of Lottie’s Aunt Mattie. Their sorrow is palpable, yet the story requires familiarity Continue reading »
- LOTTIE'S NEW FRIENDPetra MathersIn a starred review of this sequel to Lottie's New Beach Towel, centering on Herbie the duck, PW said, "Humor abounds Continue reading »
- A CAKE FOR HERBIEPetra MathersThe winsome duck-and-chicken duo is in town shopping for groceries when they spy an announcement for a poetry contest—which Herbie enters. "Mathers's droll, economical text and Continue reading »
- Maria TheresaPetra MathersAn engagingly idiosnycratic hen finds an unusual niche after plopping down on a New York City street. Ages 4-8. Continue reading »
- Sophie and LouPetra MathersSophie the mouse is so shy that even going to the supermarket makes her heart beat faster. As she sits in her dust-free home watching the light filter through the glass curtains, she is oblivious to Continue reading »
- Victor and ChristabelPetra MathersIn the latest romantic picture book from Mathers ( Sophie and Lou ), a shy museum guard becomes enamored of the young woman in a painting that's delivered one day. `` `No idea where this came from,' Continue reading »
- Kisses from Rosa: German; Parents' Choice Award Book for IllustrationPetra MathersDrawing on a tumultous experience in her own childhood, when she was sent to stay with relatives while her mother recuperated from tuberculosis, Mathers (Sophie and Lou; Victor and Christabel) steeps Continue reading »
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Award-winning author-illustrator Petra Mathers, known for her naive-flavored pencil and watercolor artwork, died on February 6; she was Continue reading »
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