jeanninesreviews

TEXAS ZEKE AND THE LONGHORN

David Davis, text

Alan Fearl Stacy, illustrations

ISBN-13: 978-1-58980-348-0 hardcover

Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.

children's fiction, western

5 longhorns

Texas Zeke finds some money and decides to invest it in a steer, he manages to get it home, but then the animal turns cantankerous and won't do what Zeke wants him to do. Zeke enlists various animals and plants to help him with the steer, but they are reluctant, but Zeke continues until things are resolved.

This is a cute and humorous tale that I believe will tickle childrens' funny bones, and I'm sure they'll beg their parents to read it over and over like I had to do for my son with "Where's Poodie?" He's now a grown man with kids, and I still remember every word of that story and others. TEXAS ZEKE AND THE LONGHORN reminds me of an old Jerry Lewis routine and the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song. Mr. Stacy's illustrations capture the essence of the story and the humor within it. I think children will find it delightful, especially those seven and younger and it will even teach them a bit about Texas and the animals that roam there.

Jeannine Van Eperen, Reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com
May 6, 2006
© JVE & GWN

KATHERINE STINSON OTERO
HIGH FLYER
By Neila Skinner Petrick
Illustrated by Daggi Wallace
Pelican Publishing Company
ISBN: 13:1-58980-368-8
juvenile nonfiction, biography
32 pages
5 pilots

Even as a young child Katherine loved the feeling of flight. She and her sister, Marjorie, pushed each other in the tree swing and dreamed of one day flying. In the year 1907 women did not aspire to the jobs men usually held. But Katherine was determined to fly. She and her mother went to visit the Wright Brothers who had successfully flown an airplane and were building planes, but she wasn't able to persuade the Wright Brothers to teach her to fly. Not one to give up, Katherine and her mother arranged to meet Max Lillie, a well-known pilot. At first Mr. Lillie also told Katherine, no, but Katherine persisted and finally Mr. Lillie taught her to fly. Soon after Marjorie became a pilot, too, and Mrs. Stinson, the girls' mother, opened a flying school. Katherine went on to set several flying records and also worked for the Red Cross as an ambulance driver during the First World War.

KATHERINE STINSON OTERO, HIGH FLYER is a charming and wonderfully illustrated story of the life of a truly interesting woman. Otero is a role model for girls to follow. She never gave up her dream. She followed her instincts, had a successful career and eventually married, and all this happened during the first half of the 20th century! I applaud Neila Skinner Petrick for writing about this American woman and introducing today's youth to Katherine Stinson Otero.

Jeannine D. Van Eperen, Reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com
May 6, 2006
© JVE & GWN

GORDON PARKS
NO EXCUSES
Text: Ann Parr
Photos: Gordon Parks
Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1-25980-411-1 hardcover
biography, juvenile non-fiction
5 photographs

When Gordon Parks was a child, he thought his world was hopeless. He was a black boy and he saw little opportunities ahead for him. He expressed his thoughts to his mother, and she told him: "What a white boy can do, you can too-and no excuses. In time, he thought he would like to become a photographer. He had seen beautiful photographs in magazines and he thought with training, he might do the same. He learned, and one day he got up the courage to try for a job at a large, successful magazine. Though he was nervous to approach the editor, he remembered his mother's words and he presented himself and his work to the man in hopes of being hired. Every time Gordon Parks worried that something might be beyond his ability, he thought of his mother, and said to himself, "What a white boy can do, I can do."

GORDON PARKS NO EXCUSES is a delightful book that will appeal to children of all races. The moral is if you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve your dream. People like Gordon Parks led the way for minorities, but white, black, brown or yellow, it is up to the person to try to succeed. That is the story of this book. To realize that Mr. Parks did do what any white boy could do (and more) you have only to look at the wonderful photographs he took of events and of people of all types, poor blacks and affluent whites. This is a great book for any child to read. I might add, that it would be good for parents to read, too.

Jeannine D. Van Eperen, Reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com
May 7, 2006
© JVE & GWN

I Grew Up On A Farm is just what this children's book is about. Life on the farm through the eyes of a child. The story tells of the hard work involved in running a farm where the mother and father worked from dawn to dark, but also had time for their family. The children of the farm were also expected to do chores such as gathering eggs that the hens laid, while trying at the same time not to be pecked by the chickens. It was an important job, because the family's livelihood depended on egg sales as well as sales of poultry and garden crops.

Mr. Lewis reminisces about his childhood and tells what life on a working farm entails, but he also tells of the joys of living in the country, of having a fishing pond nearby, dogs and cats to romp with and a barn in which to play hide and seek. Playing inside a barn is a little different from my early childhood days on a farm in Wisconsin. We weren't allowed to do that, but it does sound like fun. This book is beautifully and cleverly illustrated by Bob Fletcher who at times drew his picture, including an old snapshot the author Alan K. Lewis provided. Fletcher supplies a glossary of words that may be unfamiliar to the young reader, as well as various websites to be used for more information. I'm sure both city and country children will enjoy both the narrative of Alan K. Lewis and the illustrations of Bob Fletcher.

Jeannine D. Van Eperen, Reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com

PRISONERS UNDER GLASS

By R. Patrick

Scroll Press

ISBN:0-9735422-2-5

262 pages

juvenile fiction

5 gondoliers

Rachel is on vacation in Venice with her parents who are very much in love. The three of them take a ride on the canals of Venice, and the gondolier is singing. Everything should be perfect, but Rachel has the feeling that something awful is going to happen, and it does. A sudden storm comes up and she is somehow swept into the water. She is saved, but things continue to happen. A bit later she and her parents visit a gift shop. Within the shop are wondrous items, especially glass water globes. Her father owns a business in California that sells such things and he orders some from the exotically beautiful sales person whose mother owns the shop. Rachel's mother purchases a lovely locket for Rachel. Then, she and her parents walk to see the Bridge of Sighs as the saleslady suggests. While there, Rachel's mother suddenly goes missing. She and her father search, the police search but her mother is not found. This is only the beginning of the many adventures within the story. Rachel is determined to find her mother even if it takes her to the ends of the earth.

R. Patrick makes the impossible seem possible. PRISONERS UNDER GLASS is beautifully created, nothing is left unexplained, and the characters clearly drawn. I'm sure any child will find the book compelling and hard to put down. As an adult, I enjoyed the book, rooted for the good and hoped evil wouldn't win out to the very end of the story. I applaud R. Patrick's imagination and her writing ability. The book has everything, good plot, magic, and a fight between good and evil.

©Jeannine Van Eperen, Reviewer, Gotta Write Network
July 9, 2006

Bluebonnet at the East Texas Oil Museum
By Mary Brooke Casad
Benjamin Vincent, illustrator
juvenile fiction
32 pages
rating: 5 oil wells

Bluebonnet, an armadillo, loves to travel the state of Texas. She and her sisters were born and raised in the Texas Hill Country. One day, Bluebonnet decides to visit her sister, Irmadillo, who lives in a burrow in East Texas. When she arrives she is greeted by her sister, her brother-in-law and their four sons. The sons decide to show their aunt around their town and the museum located there that is devoted to the discovery of oil in East Texas. While on her visit Bluebonnet not only gets reacquainted with her sister and her family, she learns much about the area in which her sister now lives.

Mary Brooke Casad tells her young readers much about the oil industry beginnings in Texas without being preachy. Children, as well as parents who may read along with their children, will gain knowledge about an area of the country without feeling that they are being taught. Ms. Casad also lets her readers learn a bit about the armadillo. The book is cleverly illustrated by Benjamin Vincent, and the pictures he paints not only are charming, they add much to Mary Brooke Casad's story. I believe children, especially those between the ages of five and nine will enjoy the adventures of Bluebonnet and will probably ask to read more of Bluebonnet's travels throughout Texas.

©Jeannine D. Van Eperen, reviewer for gottawritenetwork.com
June 29, 2006

The Jade Stone
A Chinese Folktale
Caryn Yacowitz, adapter
Ju-Hong Chen, illustrator
ISBN: 13:978-1-5980-359-6
juvenile fiction
about 34 pages
4 1/2 emperors

Chan Lo was a stone carver who lived long ago in China. He was one of the best carvers in the country, but he only carved what the stones he found told him to carve. So when the emperor was given a large jade stone, he called for the famous stone carver Chan Lo to shape the jade stone into a dragon of wind and fire. Chan Lo worried. He never tried to make a stone into a shape that stone did not approve, but he wanted to please the emperor. He knew if he displeased the man there would be dire consequences. For several days and nights he worried. He pressed his ear to the stone, but never heard the stone say, I must be a dragon that spouts fire. Chan Lo decided he must let his conscious guide him as well as be inspired by the stone itself. He carved as he must to be true to himself and hoped what he did pleased the emperor.

The Jade Stone, has been interpreted beautifully by Caryn Yacowitz, the story's adapter, and the book is beautifully illustrated by Ju-Hong Chen. This is a lovely story for a child, a story that proves to your own self be true, even though your choice may not at first prove a prudent one. It would be nice to believe that acting as the stone carver did might always turn out so happily, and I believe the child should be also told that happy endings like this do not always happen. With another emperor, one not so enlightened, Chan Lo may well have been punished as the emperor's advisors suggested. Chan Lo was true to himself and his beliefs, and the beauty of his carving swayed the emperor.

©Jeannine D. Van Eperen, reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com
March 2006

Best Horse on the Force
By Sherry Garland
Pelican
ISBN: 13:978-1-58980-437-1
Juvenile Fiction
5 horses

Brandon and Wayne are best friends. To earn extra money they work after school and during their school breaks helping out at the Houston Mounted Police's horse stables. Brandon's uncle works there as a trainer. All horses must be deemed fit and unexcitable in order to be used by the police. Chris Parker is a new police recruit and he had been assigned to the mounted police. Both he and Wayne like to play practical jokes. Chris especially pulls pranks on the youths. After one of Chris' jokes on Wayne, Wayne decides to get even.He isn't sure just what he'll do, but as luck will have it, a new horse Skyjacker is slated to be Chris' mount. Wayne decides to pull a practical joke on Chris that involves using Skyjacker. Brandon doesn't want to go along with Wayne's plans but he does reluctantly. Neither boy gives much thought to the joke having dire consequences with results that prove detrimental not only to Chris but to Skyjacker as well.

This well-written story by Sherry Garland will not only entertain young readers, it teaches a lesson that not all practical jokes are funny. When some plans go awry, it is best to own up to one's actions because some things just keep getting bigger and bigger, and the end result may not be what one planned at all. Best Horse on the Force is an action adventure that boys as well as girls will enjoy reading.

Jeannine D. Van Eperen, reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com

Oct. 1, 2006