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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Dallas Public Library | + FICTION - SLOAN | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | J Fic Sloan, H. 2015 | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | J Sloan, H. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Silver Falls Library | JF SLOAN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
'Possums,' Mama says, 'are the true performers of the animal kingdom. And all the world's a stage.' Young Appleblossom, the smallest one in her family, needs to find the role that she was born to play. She may be tiny, but she's not timid, and when she accidentally falls down a chimney, she discovers that she's also daring and quite clever. She'll need to be- Inside the house are some of the monsters her mama has warned her about - the ones called dogs and people! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful possum brothers (who launch a hilarious rescue mission), and even the lonely girl in the people's house are all about to discover new, amazing things about life, love, and how to act.
Author Notes
Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She attended college at Wellesley in Massachusetts. After graduating, she worked in commercial advertising as a production assistant, then a script supervisor, a producer, and finally as a commercial director. She also writes screenplays. She sold her first screenplay at the age of twenty-four to Paramount Pictures. Her screenplays include Made in America, Collision Course: The Crocodile Hunter Movie, Angels in the Outfield, and The Big Green, which she also directed. She has written several books including I'll Be There, Keeper, and Counting By 7s.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (6)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Mama Possum has done her best to impart wisdom to her newborn "A" possum brood-Antonio, Alisa, Abdul, Ajax, Alberta, Angie, Allan, Alphonse, Atticus, Alejandro, Augusta, Amlet, and the littlest possum, Appleblossom. There are many rules that must be followed in the possum world-never be seen during the day, avoid cars (metal monsters), people, and especially the hairies (dogs). Mama Possum teaches the youngsters how to theatrically play dead to avoid the many calamities facing them daily. Mama tells the babies they are solitary creatures and need to fend for themselves, but when she disappears, the A clan doesn't feel ready to face the world. Appleblossom and two of her brothers, Amlet and Antonio, band together and share stories of their new adventures out in the world. Curious Appleblossom finds a human home with a seemingly nice creature (a little girl named Izzy), but it also houses a terrifying beast of a dog named Columbo, who is intent on sniffing and destroying. When Appleblossom accidentally stumbles down the chimney into the house, it is up to her family to save her. An unlikely friendship and bond forms between Izzy and Appleblossom, and the possum must choose between family and friendship. Sloan has masterfully created an intensely satisfying and humorous tale that makes possums seem utterly adorable. Rosen's charming illustrations pair beautifully with the text, as he draws the possums with intertwined tails, pink noses, and vivid expressions. VERDICT A perfectly sweet animal tale, with just the right blend of humor, excitement, and uncertainty.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Appleblossom, a small and brave possum, and her 12 siblings learn from their Mama Possum that the world is a stage and that acting is necessary for survival, especially against the various "monsters" (cars, people, pets) that threaten. Ever the explorer, Appleblossom gets stuck inside a small "monster's" house, complete with a dog and disgusted parents; brothers Antonio and Amlet try to mount a rescue effort while Appleblossom takes on the role of plaything. Sloan (Counting by 7s) divides the story between Appleblossom's shrewd thinking in the house and her brothers' search for help in the form of a bedraggled possum named Big Poss, who turns out to be an extraordinary actor. Rosen's pink-tinged images (not all seen by PW) bring a playfulness to many of the scenes. Amid the homey message that family matters most, Sloan seeds the story with assorted possum facts and vocabulary lessons, but it's the possum-as-actor metaphor ("Playing dead is one thing. But smelling dead is another. It adds a whole other layer to a possum performance") that generates the most fun. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Did you know that possums have Shakespeare, Chekhov, and theater of every sort in their blood? Me either. But such is the case for the thespian marsupials in Sloans (Counting by 7s, rev. 9/13) latest tale. In this particular fictive world are newly born protagonist Appleblossom and her twelve siblings (all with names beginning with A, as is the tradition for a possum mothers first litter), eager to discover how to find food, to prepare for such enemies as hairies (dogs) and monsters (people), andmost of allto develop their acting abilities. Your tail looks believable, Mama Possum tells Appleblossom, who is attempting to impersonate a reptile. But you need to feel more like a snake in your body. Move from the inside. When the day comes for the youngsters to go out into the world, they scatter, all except Appleblossom, Antonio, and Amlet (for Hamlet), who decide to stick together. When Appleblossom ends up trapped in a monster house, it is those two brothers, Mama, and a newly rediscovered father who come to her rescuenot to mention her own acting abilities. This engaging adventure has a warm, wise, and witty sensibility, reinforced by Rosens pencil and wash illustrations in soft black and white, with occasional touches of pink. monica edinger (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A young possum topples down a chimney to become the pet of a little girl while her brothers try to rescue her.The runt of a litter of baby possums, Appleblossom spends several months inside her mother's pouch before Mama Possum introduces her babies to the dangerous world. Mama explains that as solitary, nocturnal, nomadic marsupials, they must hide by day and avoid dogs, humans, and cars. When her babies are ready to survive on their own, Mama leaves. Insecure and afraid, Appleblossom and her brothers, Antonio and Amlet, stick together until curious Appleblossom accidentally tumbles down a chimney into the house of a girl named Izzy. Thrilled with her adorable new pet, Izzy pampers Appleblossom and conspires to hide her from her parents and dog. Determined to save Appleblossom, Antonio and Amlet stumble upon their parents, and together they stage a daring raid on Izzy's house. Use of the present tense adds immediacy to Appleblossom, Amlet, and Antonio's nave, amusing, and endearing high jinks. Insights about possums add an educational element to this otherwise comic adventure, while humorous illustrations capture the wee possums' antics and personalities. A warm and funny possum-family saga. (Animal fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Introduced at the moment of her birth, Appleblossom is a young possum growing up along with the 12 others in her litter. Mama Possum trains them in possum survival skills: foraging, playing dead convincingly, and avoiding monsters such as people, vehicles, and dogs. Exploring on her own, Appleblossom tumbles down a chimney into a house inhabited by a friendly young girl, her parents, and a decidedly unfriendly dog. Though the endearing possum values her independence, she treasures the family members who bravely attempt a rescue mission. Readers will enjoy both the realistic details of a newborn possum making her way to her mother's pouch, and the fanciful view of adult possums' urban nightlife, complete with rooftop music and a conga line. Best of all is the consistent, convincing presentation of Appleblossom's perspective. Throughout the book, lively black, gray, and pink illustrations portray characters and events. With wide-spaced lines of fairly large type, this attractive book will engage young readers intrigued by animals.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
APPLEBLOSSOM IS THE SMALLEST Of Mama Possum's babies. She may be little, but by the time she's just a few months old she must be prepared to face, on her own, the great big world and the many dangers it holds for possums. Appleblossom is timid, but she's also curious - and skeptical of Mama's warnings, which is how she becomes interested in a small monster (a human girl) and falls down a chimney into the monster's house. This is just the beginning of the wild and wholly engaging adventure on which Appleblossom unwittingly sends two of her brothers. It takes them from the safety of their neighborhood all the way to big-city night life. More important, it shines a spotlight on Mama's teachings about the solitariness of possums. In Holly Goldberg Sloan's delightfully amusing imaginings of possum life, the reader learns that possums are, above all else, actors - and heavily steeped in the tradition. When they are still tiny, they begin learning the craft. Mama teaches her babies about ensemble companies versus solo acts, overcoming stage fright ("Fake it until you make it, possums"), and of course death scenes: Playing dead is singularly vital to possums. "Dead is the only way to stay alive," Mama says. As entertaining as Appleblossom's early months are, she soon learns a tough lesson: Possums are solitary creatures. Mama grooms her youngsters to be independent - of her and of one another. Possum families do not stick together, no matter now much Appleblossom might wish otherwise. But Mama turns out to be a complex creature. When Appleblossom's brothers search for Mama so that she can aid in the rescue of their sister, they not only discover Mama's secret life, but find her championing the "tribe of possums." Solitary though these unforgettable possums may be, they are not alone. IN THE WITTY and captivating "Firefly Hollow," written by Alison McGhee, we enter an animal world inhabited by the tiniest of creatures - fireflies, crickets and wise Vole, a member of the river vole family who is "the last of his kind, the keeper of memories." Like Appleblossom, young Firefly and young Cricket have been schooled in the avoidance of humans. Here, humans are "giants" rather than "monsters." Either way, we don't come off well. The scariest item on display in the hollow's Museum of Giant Artifacts is the Jar. "The Jar! It contained actual firefly corpses! Once viewed, the Jar could never be forgotten." Tiny as our heroes are, they have big, nearly impossible dreams. Firefly dreams of flying to the moon. Cricket dreams of being a great ballplayer, despite the danger of flying baseballs to tiny insects. Vole yearns to sail to sea in the boat his grandfather fashioned, but being the only remaining member of his family, he must first teach himself to sail. Firefly and Cricket not only have desires that set them apart from their insect nations, they have questioned the teachings of their elders and befriended a human boy. Like Appleblossom, solitary but not alone, these four unlikely friends are drawn together one summer, the animals to pursue their dreams, Peter the boy to heal from the loss of his best friend. Along with charming illustrations ("Firefly Hollow" has luminous full-color plates in addition to drawings, and "Appleblossom the Possum" has playful drawings in black and white with a little pink), the gentle, empowering messages in these stories will resonate with young readers. Both books tap a deep vein of humor as well, something the adults who may be reading aloud will appreciate. ANN M. MARTIN'S latest book for young readers, "Rain Reign," will be released in paperback in January.