From Publishers Weekly
With their soft edges and tropical colors, Meade's ( This Is the Hat ) torn-paper collages are a joyous accompaniment to this tall tale from the Caribbean. As Gershator explains in a prefatory note, rata-pata-scata-fata "is an old-time Virgin Islands way of talking nonsense." For confirmed daydreamer Junjun, however, the phrase is an incantation to be invoked whenever his chores seem too oppressive. The magic syllables seem to make all Junjun's wishes come true: he finds a fine fish without going to market, he catches the family's goat without lifting a finger and a big wind shakes a basketful of ripe tamarinds out of their tree. In the end, even Junjun's skeptical mother tries out the phrase and calls up a rainstorm to fill the empty rain barrel. Readers can decide for themselves whether Junjun simply benefits from a string of fortunate coincidences or whether his words have the power he imagines, but most will agree that there is magic in Meade's art. Her luscious palette, dynamic compositions and expertly shifting perspectives beguile the viewer. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-A gentle book that moves at a gentle pace. Set in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, it tells the story of Junjun, a little boy who wants to help his mother, but who doesn't really want to exert any effort in the process. Instead, he invokes the nonsense phrase, "rata-pata-scata-fata" to accomplish several tasks she sets before him: getting a fish for dinner, finding a lost goat, and collecting a bucket of tamarinds. Lastly, she asks him to fill the rain barrel. Junjun lies on the ground, repeats the words several times, and the chores are completed. Of course, no magic is really involved, only coincidence-or is it? Readers cannot be certain. Unfortunately, the text is overly long and drags in places. The strongest drawing card here is the setting, which is captured in the charming watercolor illustrations done in warm pastels.
Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
