BOOKS FOR KIDS

CLEVER BEATRICE, By Margaret Willey, llustrated by Heather Solomon, Simon and Schuster: 40 pp., $16

Illustrator Heather Solomon makes an impressive debut with this winning tale of a spunky girl who matches her wits against a giant’s brawn to save her family from destitution. Combining detailed watercolor and collage, the artist works patches of photographed tree bark, flowers, earth and grass into her paintings, creating a world in which realism blends with fantasy to magical effect. Slender logs frame some of the pictures; in others, Beatrice and the giant appear as silhouettes against a white background. While some readers may find the heroine’s cheekiness off-putting, others will admire her confidence and creative problem-solving as she tricks the giant into conceding each bet, in spite of his superior strength. Such humorous moments as when the girl wraps a rope around the giant’s well and says, “I am not going to bother carrying those buckets one by one.... I would sooner pull out the whole well,” are sure to amuse small readers, as will the good-natured tone of the battle, which leaves the giant “smiling to himself, feeling lucky” despite his losses. Margaret Willey’s engaging tale of her sharp-witted heroine’s courage, enhanced by Solomon’s inspired illustrations, is clever indeed. (Ages 4 to 8)

JUDY MOODY GETS FAMOUS!, By Megan McDonald, Illustrated by Peter Reynolds, Candlewick: 144 pp., $15.99

This sequel to “Judy Moody” handily matches the original in zip and wit, portraying the spunky Judy in her quest for wide recognition. Famous for her changeable moods, the third-grader wants to become just plain famous after her archrival, Jessica, wins a spelling contest to earn the title of Queen Bee, an honor accompanied by a bejeweled tiara and a front-page headline in the local newspaper. In contrast, green-eyed Judy “felt about as famous as a pencil.” When it becomes clear that her spelling prowess will not pave Judy’s way to fame, the resourceful child tries to pass off a hammered cherry pit as one from George Washington’s ill-fated tree, a ruse that bombs when a boy mistakes it for an M&M; and swallows it. Judy’s cat, Mouse, makes another appearance, helping the heroine attract the spotlight when it wins second place in a pet contest; but the newspaper photo shows only her elbow, and her name appears as “Judy Muddy.” Megan McDonald provides an inventive conclusion to her tangy tale, as an altruistic undertaking on Judy’s part garners her fame (hint: her medical school aspirations once again come into play)--but anonymously. Even Judy could spell two words that describe both the plot and its heroine: f-r-e-s-h and f-u-n-n-y. Here’s to her quick return. (Ages 6 to 10)

THE CALLING, By Cathryn Clinton, Candlewick: 176 pp., $15.99

This promising if uneven first novel starts out sounding like farce but ends up treating questions of religious faith and practice with wisdom, humor and affection. Set in a small South Carolina town in the early ‘60s and narrated by 12-year-old Esta Lea, the story begins as Esta Lea--who is descended from a long line of preachers--has a miraculous vision of Jesus, lays hands on her deaf grandmother and restores her hearing. She is promptly launched on a healing crusade, accompanied by her older sister and her uncle, Peter Earl (newly reformed from a lifetime of shifty practices), and she effects miraculous cures in places like the Lukewarm No More Church. But is Peter Earl stealing the offerings in the collection plates? At first the author uses such broad strokes of color--from thick applications of metaphor (Esta Lea and a friend are “tighter than Aunt Phoebe’s girdle”) to excerpts from fire-and-brimstone-type sermons--that it’s hard to know what to make of Esta Lea’s extraordinary powers or her prophetic dreams. But as readers enter Esta Lea’s world, Cathryn Clinton provides moving insights into the nature of faith and prayer. Although these are weighty underpinnings, they neither slow nor overshadow a taut story line. Readers do not need to share Esta Lea’s religious beliefs to appreciate her conflicts and to become engrossed in her concerns. (Ages 10 and up)

THE DAY OCEAN CAME TO VISIT, By Diane Wolkstein, Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Harcourt/Gulliver: 40 pp., $16

Diane Wolkstein’s lilting tale explains how the sun, moon and stars came to be in the sky. She imbues the narrative with gentleness and humor, as Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher contribute the same spirit of quiet adventure. Sun and Moon possess human forms and softly luminescent heads, living a cozy, married life on Earth in a large bamboo house. Sun “made their roof very high, because both he and Moon were very tall.” Moon tends her garden while Sun travels. The artwork depicts the celestial man of the house riding astride a giraffe “to explore the world.” One day, he invites Ocean, whose smiling face peeks out of the waves, for a visit and, in preparation for her arrival, he expands his house till it stretches “nearly as far as the eye could see.” Children will anxiously anticipate Ocean’s entrance, and both text and illustrations may well exceed their expectations. “‘This way.’ Moon pointed, trying to lead Ocean into the dining room. But Ocean flowed into all the rooms .... Turtles and fish and seals and dolphins were swimming about inside their house.” The artists convey the couple’s initial welcoming look as it changes to anxiety and panic, then finally to liberation as Moon finds a solution: They ascend to the sky, where they have lived ever since, giving birth to the stars. This is poetry in both words and pictures. (Ages 3 to 7)

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Reviews are provided to Book Review by Publishers Weekly, where they first appeared. 2001, Publishers Weekly.