Children’s Book Review
July 2010 Summer amusements highlight our selections for July, including one that profiles an All-American culinary treat, and others we offer for the simple reason that they are nicely done and worthy of your attention.
Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog
Every kid’s favorite summer food is known by many names, “franks,” “wieners,” “red hots,” and, of course, the ubiquitous “hot dog,” devoured more in July than in any other month of the year. Introduced to this country by immigrants from Europe in the nineteenth century, this quintessential form of comfort food has acquired a distinctively American image over the years, enjoyed with such toppings as mustard, relish, onions, sauerkraut, and chile, often with baked beans or cole slaw on the side, so universally appreciated it was served by President Roosevelt to King George VI of England during a visit to the White House in 1939. Adrienne Sylver, who acquired her taste for hot dogs at Cleveland Indians baseball games, offers an entertaining history of this classic treat; artist Elwood Smith’s illustrations are the perfect condiment.
The Ring Went Zing!: A Story That Ends With a Kiss
It’s love at first sight in this tale of blooming romance between a frog and a chicken, an attraction so unlikely it causes the hopeful suitor—the springy amphibian—to drop the ring he is about to present to his beloved hen, which sets off a cascading chase among a barn-full of animals to find it. No need, really, for a detailed summary, except to note that there is an eventful romp conducted by one and all in hot pursuit, each succeeding interlude along the way punctuated with a single refrain, “Please! Stop That Ring.” Sean Taylor’s whimsical story is nutty enough, but it is the affectionate illustrations of Jill Barton that are especially noteworthy.
Where the Sunrise Begins
The logic that drives the idea that it is always 5 o’clock somewhere is at the heart of Douglas Wood’s premise in this lovely rumination, only here children are asked to consider where it is, exactly, that each day’s sunrise begins. “The world is always turning, turning toward the dawn,” he begins, offering a hint of where the answer lies. Does it start atop the mountains, where “the first morning candle burns away the darkness,” or in the treetops, “where the birds notice the first soft light and begin to sing.” A number of beautifully framed possibilities are proposed, all of them thrilling to contemplate, but the answer, finally, is satisfyingly simple. “The sunrise begins in you.” Wendy Popp’s contemplative paintings are filled with bright light and subtle shadows, and deserving of repeated examination.
Please Take Me for a Walk
Puppies want to go everywhere, and best of all they like to be led around by their closest pals. “I need to chase away the neighbor’s cat, send the birds back to their nests,” Susan Gal’s perky narrator explains of his insistent wish to go outside. There are, after all, squirrels to be kept in trees, and neighbors to be greeted, and bellies—one in particular—to be scratched. “Please,” he repeats over and over, “take me for a walk,” with the kicker line at the end being the most enticing of them all: “Please take me for a walk so everyone can see…my best friend and me.”
The All-American Jump and Jive Jig
How children all across the United States, from sea to shining sea, trip the light fantastic toe is the central focus here of writer M. P. Hueston and artist Amanda Haley. From the Juneau Jitterbug to the Hilo Hula, from the Brooklyn Boogie and the Lubbock Line Dance to the Albuquerque Airplane and the Mackinac Milk Shake, kids have reason to dance, and to be creative to boot. What kind of steps would work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or Eugene, Oregon, or in any hometown in between? With these clever examples, kids have everything they need to use their imagination and to come up with a routine or two of their own.