Becoming Citizens In `Very Important Day'

Children's books

October 29, 1995|By BILL WILLIAMS Bill Williams is layout editor of The Courant's Commentary and op-ed pages. He and his wife have two children.

On a snowy morning in New York City, dozens of families from many nations are rising early for their big day. They dress warmly, eat breakfast and travel by car, ferry or subway to the courthouse, where they gather in a large room. Before a judge, they pledge allegiance to the United States and become U. S. citizens.

In this simple, yet moving, story, author Maggie Rudd Herold and illustrator Catherine Stock convey the excitement of becoming a citizen in ``A Very Important Day'' (Morrow, $16, 40 pp., ages 6 and up). The story unfolds with an element of suspense because it is not clear until the end why all the families are so excited and where they are going. The author includes a helpful afterward that describes the steps to becoming a citizen.

Other recommended new books:

* ``Lassie Come-Home'' by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Jusan Jeffers (Holt, $16.95, 48 pp., all ages)

In 1938 the Saturday Evening Post published a story about a boy and his dog by an unknown writer named Eric Knight. Two years later the story of Joe and Lassie was published as a novel. Now Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers have adapted the story for young readers. Jeffers' beautiful illustrations convey the many moods of this poignant tale in which Joe's prize collie is sold by the family when Joe's father loses his job. Three times the dog escapes and returns to Joe. He is then taken to a remote region, but he escapes again and this time must travel 1,000 miles to reach home.

* ``Dog Heaven'' written and illustrated by Cynthia Rylant (Scholastic, $14.95, 32 pp., ages 4-8)

Cynthia Rylant has won many awards for her writing, but this is the first book she has illustrated. The bright acrylic images are a delight. Dog heaven is a magnificent place for dogs -- full of angel children and dog biscuits ``as far as the eye can see.'' God watches over the dogs and each is petted and reminded how good he is, all day long.

* ``The Tree That Would Not Die'' by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Ted Rand (Scholastic, $14.95, 32 pp., ages 7-9)

A tree in Austin, Texas, called Treaty Oak is nearly 500 years old. The giant tree has survived floods, drought and developers, but it almost didn't survive the malicious act of a man who poured poison around the tree late one night in 1989. A massive rescue effort succeeded, but much of the tree was lost. In this fascinating story, Ellen Levine describes events that took place near the tree over a 500-year period. The result is a blend of history, ecology and environmental awareness. Ted Rand's realistic illlustrations bring the story alive.

* ``Down the Road'' by Alice Schertle, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Harcourt, $16, 40 pp., ages 4-8)

Hetty and her mother and father would like eggs for breakfast the next morning, but Mom and Dad are too busy to walk to the general store. Hetty volunteers that she's old enough to go by herself, and her parents give their approval. On the way home, however, Hetty worries about what would happen if she fell and broke the eggs. Passing a meadow, she decides to pick wild apples and, suddenly, the eggs fall from her basket and break. Too scared to face her parents, Hetty hides in the apple tree. Her understanding parents find her and, together, they talk about what happened. This is a warm story of love, compassion, forgiveness and family bonds. The next day, Hetty and her parents don't have eggs for breakfast, but they do have fresh apple pie. E. B. Lewis' graceful watercolors perfectly convey the moods and tone of the story.

* ``A Wasp Is Not a Bee'' by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Patrick O'Brien (Holt, $15.95, 32 pp., ages 5-8)

It's easy to confuse animals that look alike. Marilyn Singer shows readers how to tell the difference between a wasp and a bee, an eel and a snake, a goose and a duck, an alligator and a crocodile and other pairs of animals.

* ``My Wish for Tomorrow: Words and Pictures From Children Around the World'' (Tambourine, $16, 48 pp., ages 3 and up)

Children ages 4 to 14 from 39 countries contributed drawings and brief statements about their one wish to make the world a better place. Although many of the children wish for peace or an end to disease, some hope for more mundane things. A 9-year-old boy from Namibia says simply, ``I wish that it would snow.'' A portion of the book's proceeds will benefit the U. N. Children's Fund.

* ``The House Gobbaleen'' by Lloyd Alexander, illustrated by Diane Goode (Dutton, $15.99, 40 pp., ages 5-10)

A man named Tooley thinks he has the worst luck in the world, and that his luck will change if only he can get help from one of the Friendly Folk. When a tiny man named Hooks shows up one day, Tooley invites him in, and the fun begins. Hooks doesn't bring any good luck, but he sleeps in Tooley's bed, eats all his food and smokes his tobacco. Finally, Tooley's cat, Gladsake, devises a clever scheme to get rid of the unwanted visitor in this hilarious tale.

* ``Dandelions'' by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Greg Shed (Harcourt, $15, 48 pp., ages 5-10)

A girl named Zoe and her family venture west to the Nebraska Territory in the 1800s. They build a sod house, plant corn and dig a well. Life is hard and lonely on the frontier. One day Zoe surprises her mother with a gift of dandelions, which Zoe plants on the house's sod roof so the bright yellow will make the house more visible on the wide-open prairie. The story gives a sense of the tribulations and joys of a settler family's life.

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