![]() ![]() In attitude, Martha rather resembles a broad-beamed version of Henkes’ Lilly her nose-in-the-air pose shifts easily from superciliousness to hopeful supplication of the towering grownups. ![]() Whatley’s watercolor and colored-pencil art is all about the portraiture, since backgrounds are simply white space the figures are anthropomorphized otters, with big blunt muzzles, gentle café-au-lait-toned fur, and easygoing wardrobes. It’s also savvy about describing Martha’s developmental stage, wherein “she knows where it all went wrong” and “she wants to make it right,” but it still takes the loss of treats to push her over the edge into appropriate behavior. The text is funny and tightly crafted, offering simple, rhythmic structures and an enjoyable refrain (“But Martha doesn’t say sorry”) that’s ripe for choral participation. Martha’s father doesn’t give piggyback rides to people who don’t say sorry”). She does share her snack”), but who also is sometimes “not so nice.” Her line in the sand begins to look a little wavery, though, after she refuses to apologize to her mother, father, and little brother and discovers the consequences (“Martha’s mother doesn’t give cookies to people who don’t say sorry. “There are many things Martha does, but apologizing isn’t one of them.” So begins this chronicle of stubborn little otter Martha, who’s capable of being loving and social (“She does give hugs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |