From Publishers Weekly
In this insightful look at sisterhood, two young foxes take different approaches to playing. The mildly traitorous Zelda takes advantage of Ivy, her gullible younger sibling. Ivy, on the other hand, indulges her sister and wears a look of quiet dismay when things go wrong. In the first of three chapters, Ivy pretends to be a trapeze artist, and ringmaster Zelda tests her with increasingly difficult tricks. Next, when Zelda suggests a make-over, Ivy is her trusting victim: "Zelda cut scallops into Ivy's fluffy tail.... 'Shall I scallop your tail?' asked Ivy. 'Wait until I'm done,' said Zelda." Yet, as Ivy well knows, her big sister has a big heart. At the conclusion, Ivy's wish for a silver baton "just like yours" prompts Zelda to anonymously (and somewhat reluctantly) donate her own prize toy. Kvasnosky (Mr. Chips) shows that age has its advantages (Zelda owns the baton and gets the top bunk) as well as its responsibilities (Zelda gives Ivy the baton because of her remorse). Gouache images pair waxy black outlines with warm, crayony colors. Kvasnosky's clean draftsmanship of the foxes, with their arrow-shaped faces, black-dot eyes and tiny fox toys, recalls Kevin Henkes's mice, and the true-to-life childhood situations recall Henkes as well. Rare for a book about siblings, its sympathies reach out to readers regardless of their birth order. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2AChildren everywhere will recognize and relate to these three stories that take a gentle, humorous look at sibling dynamics. Ivy is a guileless young fox and Zelda is her bossy big sister. In "Circus Act," Zelda assumes the role of master of ceremonies ("I'm the oldest") and spurs Ivy on to attempt ever-more daring feats on a swing until she takes a spill. In "The Latest Style," Zelda thinks up a variety of ways for the two of them to "doozy up " their tails "like movie stars" using Ivy as a model. In the final vignette, Ivy desperately wants a baton just like her sister's and Zelda tells her to put fairy dust under her pillow and wish for one. The wish comes true, or seems to, when Zelda places her own baton under Ivy's pillow. The energetic gouache-resist artwork features bright colors, homey scenes, and priceless expressions achieved with a minimum of line. Doozy up your shelves with Zelda and Ivy.ALuann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
