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Chicken Chuck
“Every page is a whimsical visual treat.” School Library Journal, June 2000
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Patches Lost and Found
Written by Steven Kroll
Illustrated by Barry Gott
Booklist,
1/1/2002
BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE FOR 2001
School Library Journal,
5/1/2001
“A masterful blend of text and illustration. Kroll has fashioned a suspenseful, kid-friendly picture book that works on several levels. On the same day that Jenny's pet guinea pig disappears, her class is assigned a writing project. Although she loves to draw, she has trouble composing stories and is anxious about the assignment. First, Jenny puts her artistic talents to work making ‘missing' posters to put up all over town. She is so distraught over the loss of Patches that she imagines that terrible things have befallen him . . . . She translates all of her anxiety into drawings that show the worst of her fears. All ends well when a neighbor returns her beloved pet and Jenny constructs a narrative to accompany the pictures she has drawn. Gott's digitally generated cartoons are perfect for the story.”
Starred Review
Booklist,
3/1/2001
“When Mr. Griswold tells his class to write a story, Jenny can't think of anything to write about—and she'd rather draw pictures anyway. Her teacher insists, ‘Words first!' Arriving home, Jenny discovers that her guinea pig Patches is missing. She draws missing-pet posters and puts them up in the neighborhood. She crayons a series of scenes depicting what might have happened to Patches. . . . Written with a sure sense of narrative and a sensitivity to the concerns and the learning styles of children, the story finds apt expression in Gott's digital artwork, which has the appearance of cut-paper collage. The cartoon-style look and movement of the characters, rarely seen in collage illustrations, intensify the book's child appeal. Kids may find inspiration in Jenny's wonderfully expressive, yet convincingly child-like drawings to create their own illustrated stories. A fresh, fine offering.”
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