From Publishers Weekly
"Me Tarzan, you Dwayne," gloats Dorothy when she out-screams her nemesis to land the starring role in the class play. Similarly glib, frequently funny lines surface throughout this light-as-cotton-candy, fast-paced novel by Newbery Medalist Byars (Summer of the Swans). A primal urge washes over the feisty girl just before she belts out her Tarzan yell: "She felt power, a primitive power. It was such a strong sensation that it made her feel she was not only in the jungle, she was master of it." Each time she howls, the sound attracts a menagerie of animals, ranging from neighborhood cats and dogs to the horses from a nearby riding academy to the four-legged performers in a visiting circus. Like the jungle hero Dorothy imitates, the tale is largerAand louderAthan life, but Byars successfully juggles the ingredients of her narrative, including credible characters and dialogue, and humor that at times approaches slapstick. As playful as the plot, the book's design features Cigliano's images of vines and animals that emerge from the gutter and run off the pages, as well as a recurrent reproduction of Dorothy's yell ("AHHHHHH-AHH-AHH...") that swings across the page and grows in type size with each subsequent utterance. This smooth if wild ride should attract readers of both gendersAand perhaps, if read aloud, even a pet or two. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-When Dorothy lands the role of Tarzan in the class play featuring book characters, her tremendous yell is so effective that it attracts more and more animals each time she rehearses it. With each call, she feels, hears, and smells the jungle, releasing an inner desire to escape the confines of her surroundings and become one with nature. When her teacher realizes the effects of her cry, he asks her to substitute a familiar cartoon ending ("Th-th-that's all, folks") on the night of the performance. Instead, Dorothy does what she feels is right, which causes the circus animals to make their way to the school auditorium. At her parents' and the ringmaster's urging, she unleashes one final yell, causing the displaced creatures to stampede back to where they belong. All ends well and Dorothy finds a new friend in her former rival, Dwayne, who tells his part of the story in alternating chapters. Black-and-white sketches of jungle plants and animals appear more frequently once the circus comes to town. This very funny story, peppered with likable characters and on-target dialogue, will delight readers, particularly those who would like to unleash their own Tarzan yell from time to time.
Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
