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Keller, Holly
14 Reviews
(3)
PS
After building a sandcastle for a crab, Miranda is dismayed when the crab escapes to the water and the sea demolishes her castle. Mama helps her understand that some things belong together--the crab and the ocean, the castle and the sand, and, most importantly, Mama and Miranda. Printed collages, described in an endnote, add distinctive textures to illustrations for this satisfying, evocative story.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(2)
K-3
Mouse and Snake were friends, until "Fox told Skunk and Skunk told Mouse that snakes are dangerous to mice." When Mouse falls into a hole, though, Snake comes to the rescue. Keller matches the satisfying tale with unusual textured collages called collographs, in which the picture is formed out of paper and other materials, inked and printed, and colored in with watercolors.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2008
(3)
PS
Rosie the fox is great at using her sense of smell, and she happily helps people find things until everyone starts calling her "Nosy Rosie." The story ends on a satisfying note as Rosie, empowered by having found her lost baby brother, puts an end to the name-calling. The gently humorous watercolor and ink illustrations help deliver the book's message.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(4)
K-3
On a windy day, Pam loses her red hat. With her dog at her heels, Pam gives chase, but she needs her friend Dan's help to get her hat back. Playful illustrations add interest to the simple text. Superfluous wind and hat activities follow the story.
Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver
(3)
K-3
Pearl has visions of "gliding...like a ballerina on the ice" in her new skates, so she's disappointed (and embarrassed) when she can't even stand up. For a while, she refuses to try again, but after an early-morning lesson from tactful Uncle Jack, she bounces back. The gently humorous story, with its expressive illustrations, makes it easy to empathize with Pearl.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(2)
PS
Little cousin Newton's hat remains on his two bunny ears even when he takes a bath and sleeps. Then his bigger cousin Henry teasingly steals the hat, and Newton's kindhearted younger cousin Wizzie retrieves it. When a bully ruins Wizzie's sand house at the park, Newton offers her his precious hat to make her feel better. Keller's art is so full of narrative content that small children can understand the story simply by looking at the pictures.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2003
(3)
K-3
Three rabbits--Cecil, Jake, and Posey--disagree on how to plant their garden. After visiting neighbor animals who likewise can't agree among themselves, Cecil realizes arguing can be "a foolish waste of time." He finds a way to resolve the gardening disputes, and the rabbits plant their seeds at last. Using humor and expressive illustrations, Keller makes her point with a light touch.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
K-3
In this story about growing up and changing, a caterpillar and a young goose who are friends fail to recognize each other after they have transformed into their adult shapes, colors, and sizes. They are reunited after each finally recognizes in the other the qualities that attracted them to each other in the first place. Muted watercolor illustrations echo the unforced contemplative tone of the text.
Reviewer: Jim St. Claire
(2)
PS
When Horace, a young leopard, finds a toy truck on the playground, he wants to keep it so much that he lies to both his teacher and mother, even after he finds out that it belongs to a classmate. In this third Horace book, Keller raises ethical issues that will be easily grasped by young readers. But beyond that, it succeeds as a perfectly paced, dramatic story with appealing illustrations and a satisfying resolution.
Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2000
(3)
K-3
Neither Geraldine the pig nor her brother Willy want Mrs. Duffy to babysit, but Mrs. Duffy calmly accepts their high jinks--even their taking a bath with their pet iguana. When the iguana escapes, Mrs. Duffy heroically rescues it, winning Willy and Geraldine's praise. The young pigs' simple yet expressive faces help convey the emotions and humor of the story.
Reviewer: Patricia Riley
(2)
PS
Jacob has one problem--he is smaller than everyone else in his family. Keller creates an endearing humanized bear family to illustrate this common problem of the youngest sibling. On a big tree Papa draws a line to mark how tall Jacob is; predictably, he has a happy surprise in the spring. The warmly drawn domestic scenes have simple charm, and the economical text perfectly encapsulates this universal predicament.
Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 1999
(3)
K-3
When Lee's cat--and bedtime playmate--disappears one night, he and his family search everywhere for her. To everyone's surprise, she returns weeks later with a litter of kittens. Well-chosen vocabulary and repetition of words, phrases, and sentence structure make the story a suitable choice for beginning readers. Cheerful illustrations provide effective visual reinforcement.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
(3)
K-3
After a hacker messes up the school report cards, Angela vows that she and her computer club pals will crack the case, which they do, with the help of a few misaddressed e-mail messages. Angela's narration is characteristically candid, and Keller's simple drawings complement the chapter-book mystery. As an added bonus, readers can actually send e-mail to Angela (a.k.a., Holly Keller) and get a response.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
(2)
PS
Horace the leopard is afraid (but pretends to be brave) when he receives an invitation to George's monster-movie party. At the party, though, Horace demonstrates true courage, rescuing his friend Fred who is near tears after being dared to touch "monster brains and livers" in a box. Keller's illustrations good-naturedly exaggerate Horace's fears while effectively chomping them down to size.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
14 reviews
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