Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 4, 1990 TAG: 9003042261
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Reviewed by PEGGY DAVIS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
By James Young. Price Stern Sloan. $6.96.
Bright colors, easy rhymes, eye-catching illustrations and page decorations combine to make this easy-to-hold book most appealing. Children will surely enjoy "Old Mrs. Mopiter, Climbing a tree, ran into a big bumblebee. She said `Boo!' The bee said `Buzz?' And off it flew, just because." There are 14 pages of this kind of fun.
The Pup Grew Up
By Samuel Marshak. Translated from Russian by Richard Pevear. Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky.
This is one of those big books; big in color, size and story. This whimsical tale reminds one of an Ogden Nash poem or a 1940s "Who's there" riddle. The pup starts as a Pekinese but grows up to be a Great Dane. The fun is the route along the way. Children generally have natural affections for pets and stories such as this one only enhance that feeling.
The Voice of The Voice of the Great Bell
By Lafcadio Hearn. Retold by Margaret Hodges. Illustrated by Ed Young. Little Brown. $14.95.
This is a story about a lost shoe that is not Cinderella's, but a little charmer from the East. Her name is Ko-Ngai and her story is as mystical as her name. The colors in the illustrations are dreamy, but those pictures along with the text could be a bit frightening to a youngster. Handled in the proper way, however, the story could be wonderful for the vivid imaginations so natural with little chaps.
Mog and Bunny
By Judith Kerr. Knopf. $8.95.
If you are one of the "cat people," you'll understand Mog perfectly. Mog is a cat but just as much a member of the Thomas family as Nickey and Debbie. When Mog gets a toy bunny to treasure, the family has to accept the importance the toy has for Mog. This is a nice, innocent, but important message about being aware of the feelings of others - even a cat - that children can learn. The illustrations invite studying as well as just looking during the reading of the story. "Mog and Bunny" has the potential to be a longtime favorite. Illuminations
By Jonathan Hunt
Bradbury Press. $16.95.
This book is such a grand idea that you shouldn't let the price stop you from considering a purchase. Hunt has done something that can help provide historical background for the young reader and entertain as well. He has used the alphabet (A - alchemist to Z - zither) as a basic for presenting subjects of the Middle Ages. A youngster can spend a brief time with this book and gain a splendid introduction to the ideas associated with the period. There are also suggestions for further reading to get a more detailed version of the mythology. The illustrations are elegant and representative of the earliest books under lock and key in the world's museums. Hunt promises additional works and they will be welcome.
Peggy Davis reviews books regulary for this page
by CNB