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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Salem Main Library | JP Bra | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Sparkle Bramsen | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Woodburn Public Library | Bramsen | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
When Margo gets a sunny yellow tutu for her birthday it is exactly what she wants, and she wears it to school--on her head.
Author Notes
Kirsten Bramsen is a singer, actor, garden designer, and writer. She received her BA in theatre from DePaul University. She resides in Brooklyn, New York, with her park ranger husband, daughter, cat, and turtle.
Carin Bramsen received her BA in art history from Barnard College and has studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she illustrates, paints, and performs the occasional high-kick for the squirrels outside her window.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Margo is excited about her birthday gift. With the yellow tutu on her waist she pretends to be a dancer, but when she puts it on her head she becomes the sun. She can't wait to go to school and show her friends how she shines on everything she sees, but some of the children make fun of her "tutu head." Tears begin to well up in her eyes until Pearl rescues her. She has a pink tutu and together she and Margo put the skirts on their heads and enjoy a tea party in the garden after school. This is a sweet story of youthful exuberance, imagination, and friendship. Kirsten Bramsen has a keen understanding of the workings of children's minds. Margo is a believable little girl; she is so innocent and enthusiastic that readers will readily enter her pretend world. Carin Bramsen's whimsical illustrations capture the text's energy and fun. Her style is reminiscent of classic, old-fashioned greeting cards with slightly muted lines and pastel colors. She shows Margo in the real world and in the world of her imagination, where bees smile and squirrels with sunglasses sip lemonade. Those who liked Margaret Chodos-Irvine's Ella Sarah Gets Dressed (2003) and Best Best Friends (2006, both Harcourt) will enjoy this sunny offering that reminds readers that all it takes is one friend to make everything better.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When Margo receives a golden tutu for her birthday, she decides to wear it as a sparkly hairpiece instead of a dance costume. In light of her sunnier disposition, she envisions a brighter world. "Would the pavement heat up when she walked by, warmed by the brilliance of her rays?" Predictably, she is ridiculed for her unusual attire until a classmate defends Margo's creative spirit. While the girl's quirky independence is surprisingly refreshing, secondary characters are underdeveloped, doing little to spice up the too-sweet story. Occasionally, unnecessary details plod the pacing, while the conflict's too neatly resolved. Margo's tutu is the dominant feature against illustrator Bramsen's cool blue backgrounds; splashes of yellow rays convey a feathery, spongy texture. During lighthearted moments, whimsical daydreams exhibit a dreamlike glow, though Margo shines most in her isolation. In the depth of her vulnerability, with knees bent and head bowed, Margo's wilted tutu completely hides her face. Unfortunately, characters' occasionally gooey expressions disrupt the gentle pictorial narrative, leaving more sparkle than substance. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
From its sunny cover to its irrepressible heroine, there's a great deal to like about Bramsen's debut. Margo receives a yellow tutu for her birthday. Enchanted, she imaginatively places it on her head and pictures herself as the sun. Would the pavement heat up when she walked by, warmed by the brilliance of her rays? All's well until she gets to school, where her far less imaginative classmates taunt the innovative use of her present. Tutu head, they cry. Luckily another classmate, with a pink tutu, comes to the rescue. The day ends with the pair of like-minded friends sipping tea in a garden, themselves looking like two giant roses. While the resolution is rather abrupt, and perhaps too easily won, the book is nevertheless charming. Illustrator Carin Bramsen creates a pleasant visual rhythm for the story, alternating close-ups of Margo's gauzy tutu and shiny apple-cheeked face with long perspectives of her environment. All tutu-lovers will surely want to read about Margo's pluckiness and delight in her pastel world.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2009 Booklist