From Publishers Weekly
Newbery Honor author Myers (Scorpions; Somewhere in the Darkness) again displays his versatility with this pithy and piquant fable. Repeatedly pulling the same dirty trick, Mr. Buzzard offers, for the price of an item of food, to carry a hare, an antelope, a crab and a monkey "up to the clouds," so that each can be the first of his species to see the "whole world." But once in the air, the bird scares his victims by turning them upside-down, promising to bring them back to earth safely only if they hand over their entire cache of food. Clever Mr. Monkey finally foils the greedy fellow, who reluctantly returns the purloined victuals. Using repetition to humorous effect, Myers's tale dispenses its moral unequivocally. Effective as his storytelling is, Saint James (Tukama Tootles the Flute) steals the show with her bold paintings. Streamlining her vibrantly hued compositions to a minimalism just short of abstraction, she nonetheless includes some playful particulars: each animal, including the villain, is clad only in boxer shorts; and Mr. Monkey, clinging to the back of the soaring buzzard, brazenly sticks his long scarlet tongue out at his tormentor. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3?During a severe famine, Mr. Buzzard coaxes what little food there is from Mr. Hare, Mr. Antelope, and Mr. Crab by offering, for very little, to fly each of them in turn up into the clouds for a view of the whole world. Once in flight, he will not bring his captives down safely until they promise to give him all the food they have. But when the greedy bird tries this same trick on Mr. Monkey, he discovers that he has met his match, and cannot land until he relinquishes his ill-gotten bounty. St. James's bold illustrations, executed in vibrant acrylic paints, and Myers's lengthy but simple text pair well to present this modern trickster tale. The buzzard's huge black wings stand out against the bright oranges, blues, greens, yellows, and brown of the other creatures and vegetation in this jungle environment. The precious foods add additional splashes of color to the full- and double-page spreads. With each successful trick, Mr. Buzzard grows in stature, first sitting at the foot of the baobab tree, then appearing to stretch halfway up its trunk, and finally reaching even to its leaves. Even when he is tricked himself, the retreating bird looms across the entire page, rendering the small monkey's victory even more remarkable. Pair this with William J. Faulkner's Brer Tiger and the Big Wind (Morrow, 1995), another story about triumph over greed, for a fun-filled story hour.?Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
