From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-The whole street is waking up and getting ready for the big summer kick-off block party-except Lola, who grumpily pulls the covers over her head and refuses to get out of bed. It turns out that her two friends, Yasmin and Sue, didn't let her jump first in double Dutch and she's mad, mad, mad. As the day goes on, the party heats up. There are snow cones, music, dancing, and food. Lola is drawn down to her stoop by the joyful sounds, and when her friends spot her, she is coaxed into joining them, and they all enjoy cooling off in a fire hydrant's spray. Feuding with friends and making up is a common experience for children, and the illustrations authentically capture this situation. Through a seemingly endless palette of watercolors, wonderful details, and a variety of perspectives, the neighbors and their environs come alive. This multicultural cast of characters comes in all shapes and sizes, and their personalities are playfully present in their expressions and actions. A fun choice for welcoming summer or for exploring friendships.
Genevieve Gallagher, Orange County Public Library, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
K-Gr. 2. City dwellers will instantly recognize the neighborly camaraderie, born of rubbing shoulders in stairwells and on stoops, that is captured in this oh-so-summery picture book. It's the first Saturday in June, and the multiethnic, multigenerational residents of Berkeley Place in Brooklyn are having a block party. Roth's warm, relaxed watercolors depict the "big fun" of the day, which includes all the quintessential pleasures associated with both season and setting: slurping snow cones;^B skipping rope and dancing to bongos; kicking back to enjoy some "take-it-easy time." Though the story line about a disagreement among three little girls feels like an afterthought, both text and art beautifully catch the excitement of an event that transforms ho-hum surroundings into a playground: "No cars! No trucks! Time to run in the street! Time to play double Dutch!" Pair with Nina Crews'
The Neighborhood Mother Goose (2003) or Mari Takabayashi's
I Live in Brooklyn [BKL Ap 1 04]
, two other recent celebrations of outer-borough bonhomie.
Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
