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Foreman, Michael
18 Reviews
(4)
K-3
During World War I, an American solider adopts a stray dog that wanders into camp. The soldier and the dog, whom he names Stubby, become inseparable and the dog quickly becomes the regiment's mascot. Though the warm tale is based on a true story, Stubby's learning to salute and his smiling, human-like visage (as portrayed in the line-and-wash illustrations) stretch reality a bit. A historical note adds context.
Reviewer: Meredith Madyda
(4)
K-3
Young camel Jamal cannot keep up with his parents in a Bedouin caravan. Lost and afraid, Jamal encounters a string of desert animals, including the falcon that finally leads the camel safely to his family. The story is slight, but Foreman's graceful watercolor and pencil illustrations strikingly contrast the empty, lonely desert with the bustling traditional marketplace, the sea, and Dubai's gleaming modern skyscrapers.
Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt
(4)
K-3
"Adam missed the faraway place where he used to live." With some new companions, recent immigrant Adam transforms a barren but friendly city into "a city of gardens." The story lacks any tension; instead, this is a lesson about how the world might be if everyone was his or her best self. The soft illustrations are as warm as the gentle fable.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(3)
4-6
WWI veteran Henry Friston describes to a young reporter how he came to adopt an Egyptian tortoise. Friston brings the tortoise (whom he names Ali Pasha) home to England and tenderly cares for him throughout his long life. Based on true events, the historical narrative is most appealing for its genuine warmth. Soft watercolor illustrations complement the story; archival photographs appear on the endpapers.
Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn
(4)
K-3
When Cat gets caught inside a fish van, her kittens are left alone under the bridge. Luckily, old Dog comes along and takes care of them until their mom's safe return. Small details (e.g., the graffiti on the bridge) make the difference in the otherwise sweet and watery illustrations. The well-worn unlikely-friendship plot ends with a nice (albeit small) twist.
Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot
(4)
PS
Little Bear delays bedtime as long as he can by enumerating how much he loves his father; the wakeful cub eventually lulls Dad to sleep. With soothing repetition and dreamy watercolors, this is a cozy and attractive but predictable bedtime story that doesn't stand out in the crowded field of "I love you as much as..." stories.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(3)
K-3
"Oh! If only... / I had stayed at home that day..." begins a clever story in which a calamitous chain of events unravels. A boy's innocent meeting with a dog turns into a spectacle affecting a parade, the queen's birthday, and more. The book's full-circle ending reinforces the simple theme of friendship while vibrant watercolors capture the wide-reaching havoc with small details.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(4)
K-3
Cat gives his goldfish friend Bubble a look at the wide world by carrying him around in a pail of water. Bubble is impressed, but when Cat gives him the chance to join the fish in the sea, he declines ("I might never find a friend like you"). Shades of blue dominate the attractive watercolors accompanying this sentimental story.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
K-3
Young monkey Milo is called upon to return his grandmother's umbrella. Unfortunately, he meets one roadblock after another (pirates, space aliens, dinosaurs, etc.), delaying his journey. Fortunately, these encounters are extremely entertaining. Vibrant watercolor illustrations reflect Milo's wild adventure from home to Granny's. The fortunately/unfortunately patterned text makes this a great read-aloud.
Reviewer: Natasha Gilmore
(3)
K-3
The littlest dinosaur enjoys exploring the other side of the river on his own--until he gets lost in a scary forest. When he encounters a baby pterodactyl who's also lost, he must be brave and help them both until the mother pterodactyl appears and gives them a lift. Ink and watercolor illustrations reflect the changing moods of this gentle adventure.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
K-3
A boy in a bombed out, barbed-wire-surrounded town cares for a sprout that grows into a beautiful garden on both sides of the fence--despite soldiers' efforts to destroy it. In the pencil and watercolor illustrations, the growing garden, nurtured by children, brings bright colors to the otherwise gray landscape, enhancing the poignant tale's hopeful message: "One day the fence will disappear forever..."
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(4)
K-3
One little dinosaur finds that there are many things he cannot do with the other, giant, dinosaurs. When danger threatens his family, though, his tiny size becomes an advantage. Foreman's watercolor and ink illustrations are a little heavy on the pastel hues, and the be-yourself message is too overt, but themes of friendship and individuality will resonate with readers.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(3)
K-3
Mia and her family live in a patched-up shack with little more than hope and dreams. When the new puppy Papa brings home wanders off, Mia sets out to find him. Instead she finds a mountaintop covered with small white flowers that she uses to transform her Chilean community. Soft watercolor and pencil illustrations convey the promise symbolized by this floral gift "from the stars."
Reviewer: Christina Dorr
(3)
K-3
Tom plays with his mother's new kitchen timer and finds himself whirled back all the way to the dinosaur era. Falling into a dinosaur nest, he accidentally carries away an egg when he flees the dinosaurs who are chasing him and returns to the present with the soon-to-hatch dino. Foreman's paintings use warm colors to convey a not-too-sweet and not-too-scary adventure story.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
(2)
K-3
An unnamed boy, teased by his fellow soccer players because he's new to the team, dreams of scoring a game-winning goal; the story skips ahead in time to show him actually scoring that goal in a World Cup final. Though the structure is clever, the flash-forward is a bit jarring. Nevertheless, kids will appreciate the watercolor art, which emphasizes dramatic sports action.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2003
(4)
PS
A bear wakes a toddler with the words, "Let's go and see the world." They invite along their animal friends, assuring each in turn that there will be trees to climb, wheat to peck, etc. After walking by a pond, through the woods, and across a field, they view their world from a starlit hilltop. The large format and gatefold pages sometimes overwhelm the simple concept and soft mixed-media illustrations.
Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen
(4)
1-3
A dog whose master belongs to a volunteer lifeboat crew tells how a quiet day turns exciting when a storm engulfs a sailboat and the rescue crew mobilizes. Details of the English fishing village and of the rescue machinery seem authentic in both the text and in the soft-edged illustrations of scenes often viewed from afar. The narrator dog's parallel rescue of Sinbad, a pooch aboard the sailboat, is less believable.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
(3)
K-3
In this understated Nativity story, a barn cat thinks back to the wintry night when a baby was born in the stable and shepherds and kings both came to honor him. The illustrations make their statement with color: the cold blue tones of the first scenes contrast with the warm gold glow that lights the barn after the birth.
Reviewer: Anne St. John
18 reviews
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