Some Reviews for
Niki Daly Books
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Bettina
Valentino and the Picasso Club. By Niki Daly. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
$15.95.
Each of these books offers young readers
splendid information on art – but the two come at it from entirely different
perspectives, just as two artists would see the same landscape entirely
differently. Bettina Valentino and the Picasso Club is a novel so funny
that readers will find themselves laughing out loud at some of the antics of
the title character and her family and friends – but beneath that amusement are
some very serious lessons about what art is, how it is made, and in what ways
it appeals to (or fails to appeal to) different sorts of people. The story
seems simple: Bettina gets a new, free-spirited art teacher at Bayside
Preparatory School and finds her own artistic impulses growing by leaps and
bounds as a result. But the plot is barely the point here. Bettina herself is
quite a character: “I like art that jumps off the wall and hits you in the eye
like a wound-up ninja.” Her old art teacher used to insist she use more pink in
her paintings, leading Bettina to create her mantra: “Pink shtinks!”
Bettina’s dad drives a falling-apart 1962 Rolls-Royce convertible; her mother
is “a fashion designer and is always practicing her French, in case she ever
gets to go to Paris to do a show.” This is one girl who comes by her iconoclasm
genetically; her best friend, Carmen-Daisy, “calls me an artyfartyfashionloony,”
which seems about right. And then – wham! Into Bettina’s life comes Mr. Popart, who walks barefoot to soak up the energy of the
Earth and teaches about everything except using more pink. He talks about Paul
Klee’s comment on “taking a line for a walk,” about Damien Hirst’s
preserved carcasses, and about Picasso – one artist Bettina adores. And Mr. Popart doesn’t just talk: he has the kids create wall art
(graffiti, if you prefer), then turns up one day standing on his head to show
what the dada movement was all about, and much more. Niki Daly, an excellent
picture-book author who here writes his first chapter book, sprinkles wonderful
illustrations throughout the story, and manages to make it a fairly complex
one, too, because Bayside is in need of serious repair, and one family may
contribute a lot of money, but that family (daughter and parents) strongly
opposes Mr. Popart and his freewheeling manner, and
the head of the school is caught in the middle, which means so is Mr. Popart, and there happens to be an art contest for the
students coming up, and…well, there is a lot here, and Daly juggles it
all expertly, bringing the book to an entirely satisfactory conclusion – and
likely bringing readers more information on art than they would expect to find
in such an apparently lighthearted apparent romp.
Kathryn Lasky’s Georgia Rises is a more overtly serious
book, a sensitive portrait of an artist in her 70s struggling to make her body
cooperate so she can greet the day as she wishes and draw from it the
inspiration that she has received from the natural world for many years. Using
many of Georgia O’Keeffe’s own words and the ideas for a number of her
paintings – but compressing the action and thinking into a single day – Lasky helps young readers share the sensibilities of an
artist: “A bone gleaming white sits as pretty as angel wings just ahead.” “The
sky is finally lavender, so pale it’s almost transparent, like the eyelids of
babies.” “Soon the stars will climb into the huge blackness of the night and
arrange themselves in figures.” Aided by lovely, unsentimentalized
pictures by Ora Eitan, Lasky shows how art transcends and transforms the artist,
and how O’Keeffe uses the light and the found objects around her desert home to
create striking visual impressions, such as her famous flowers “so big that
people will have to look” at them. This is a beautiful book for readers already
interested in O’Keeffe’s style or ready to experience it, and the biography and
selected bibliography at the end will open additional doors of wonder and
experience to budding young artists.
The Infodad Team0 comments 
*Starred Review* Bettina Valentino and the
Picasso Club.By Niki Daly. Illus.
by Niki Daly.May 2009. 112p.
Farrar, $16 (9780374307530). Gr. 4–6. REVIEW First
published March 15, 2009 (Booklist).
Not many middle-grade heroines seem like
they’re going to bounce off the pages, but they’re not Bettina Valentine.
Veteran author and illustrator Daly lets this art-loving firecracker
introduce herself: “Hellooo!
Yes, you! You, holding this book. Are you reading me?
Cool!“ In this unique voice,
Bettina presents Bayside Prep’s fabulous new art teacher,
nicknamed Mr. Popart (he smiles, she falls in love).
But beyond her crush, Bettina, a budding artist, is thrilled at the
way her teacher gets kids to think about art and to look at it, and
not just any old art, but the unconventional works of masters like Picasso and
Klee. Unfortunately, unconventiality is overrated
according to the overbearing Rattles, parents of the nasty Maxine, who feel
that the school should get rid of Mr. Popart. Bettina
has other ideas. If the story’s execution wasn’t delightful enough
(it is), Daly provides wonderful ink-and-wash drawings, sometimes several to a page, that ups the amusing ante. Not only are the cast’s
eccentricities on full display, Daly sometimes draws in the styles of
famous artists, so readers get a real feel for their art. Like Bettina this
book has a certain je ne sais quoi.
—Ilene Cooper
Kirkus Reviews, for their April 1 issue.
Daly, Niki
BETTINA VALENTINO AND THE PICASSO CLUB
The acclaimed South African
author/illustrator ventures into chapter-book territory with this humorous
account of how a new art teacher shakes up fifth grader Bettina Valentino’s
school and inspires the fledgling artist. Quirky Bettina is an original, from
her tufted hair to her active imagination. Whatever she does consumes her,
whether it’s painting or mourning the possible loss of the controversial
teacher who wears no shoes (getting energy from the earth), allows students to
paint on hallway walls and has pictures of naked women in his art books. Mr. Popart introduces artists and movements from Paul Klee to
Damien Hirst and from Dada to Cubism; Daly’s
gray-scale line drawings reflect the variety of artistic styles. Secondary
characters are sketchily developed, but readers will recognize the buttoned-up
girl and “Ditto,” her inseparable companion, Mason, the boy who farts, and
Bettina’s food-loving best friend and life-chronicler, Carmen-Daisy. This is an
intriguing group readers will hope to meet again. Profusely illustrated and
told in first-person chronological episodes, this may have appeal for some
reluctant readers as well. (Fiction. 8-11)
Washington Post 16th June 2009
Kristi Jemtegaard
BETTINA VALENTINO AND THE PICASSO CLUB By Niki Daly, Farrar
Straus Giroux. $15.95, ages 7-9
Niki Daly's
first foray into the field of chapter books is filled with the same arch humor
and offhand illustrations as his picture books, with a
few detours into mildly scatological territory (dog poop plays a significant
role in more than one scene). Fifth-grader Bettina Valentino adores art but
hates her art class at Bayside Preparatory School, where her teacher, Miss
Pyle, believes in repeat patterns, clean brushes and pastel colors. Exit Miss
Pyle, enter Mr. Peppard (quickly nicknamed Mr. Popart) who wears an evening suit jacket with checked golf
shorts, believes that shoes interfere with earth-energy, and introduces
everything from cave art to cubism, much to the delight of the elementary
artistes and the dismay of some of the stuffier parents. An
art competition, a student club (organized by Bettina), a parental complaint
and a highly satisfactory resolution round out this light-hearted introduction
to eccentricity, activism and art appreciation. Kids will even learn a
smidgen about art history and perhaps be inspired to create something artistic
of their own.
Grimm and Not-So-Grim
By Elizabeth Ward
Washington
Post
Sunday,
July 29, 2007; Page BW12
Hang on for a wild ride with South
Africa's Niki Daly, who in Pretty Salma
(Clarion, $16) picks up the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and plunks it down
in Ghana.
He has a good time messing with it. Skinny little Salma
dons a blue head scarf and a red-and-yellow wraparound skirt rather than a red
riding hood (what's a riding hood, anyway?) for her trip to the market. Mr. Dog
stands in for the wolf. And that bad canine dresses up as Salma
to hoodwink Granny, rather than the other way round as the original calls for.
But the moral about steering clear of strangers is the same, and Daly's airy,
action-packed illustrations are hilarious.
Paint
Up A Storm, May 14, 2009
By dream
factory
(Triangulum, M33)
- See
all my reviews
Most
artists find their style and remain content within their particular personal
niche. Maturing and exploring possibilities within their repetativeness.
Chagall - Van Gogh - Bacon - Rothko. Great for them. Great for the art
community. Others find a solid personal style, guaranteed art
immortality, yet discard it and forge ahead restlessly. Modrian - Pollack - Picasso.
Literally changing the world! What is it like to stand on the other side? At that moment of personal breakthrough. And how can these
concepts be presented to our children?
The
always heroic / flamboyant Niki Daly accomplishes what many an art instructor
has tried in vain. Transcending from from
keeping inside the lines to very abstract ideas. Like: "Two holes
in a painting doesnt mean that its not still a work of art." "There's
something special about art that includes accidents." Daly smoothly
passages through the language of Modernism, Pop Art, Cubism, Expressionism
while keeping a tight story line intact.
A beautiful story about a 5th grader discovering the possibilities
of art. The progressive happenings in an art class and
the lives of the classmates. And how art can be used
to challenge, shock, and surprise.
Armadillo
Summer 2003 Vol 5
Retellings
and New Twists
By Damian Harvey
Once Upon A Time by
Niki Daly
Niki Daly's Once Upon a Time is not a
retelling but does have many interesting links with Cinderella The Cinderella of
this story is Sarie, a girl that hates reading aloud
in class. The words "trip up her tongue" and other girls tease her.
Her friend Emile knows they are jealous as Sarie is
"as pretty as a princess". Her teacher, Mr. Adonis encourages Sarie to take her time. But despite the strength implied by
his name he is powerless to really help. Sarie's
parents work long hard hours and rest on their day off. Although no one is
blamed for Sarie's reading problems, the picture
painted will be all too familiar.
Luckily, Sarie has a fairy Godmother, Ou
Misses, ‑and together they read and re‑read an old copy of
Cinderella until Sarie's confidence grows and she
finally receives much needed encouragement and praise at school. A story based
around a child with reading difficulties could easily become stilted, but Niki
Daly's words and exuberant illustrations make this an absolute joy to read and
read again.
(Children’s
Book of the Week – Sunday Times Book Review U.K.)
ONCE UPON A
TIME
by Niki Daly
Age 3‑7
It is
refreshing to find a picture book with a strong sense of ' place’. Daly, who lives
in CapeTown makes books that
vividly conjure the South African veld. Set under the, wide skies and on the dusty expanses
of the Little Karoo this is the tale of a girl who has trouble reading, and
whose classmates laugh at her. But Sarie has a friend - an old lady with a glamorous past and
a broken‑down Cadillac who reads with her the
story of Cinderella until she knows it so well she overcomes her fearfulness in school. She even finds in one of
her school mates a prince of her own. Daly's drawings of people,
are full of character, He celebrates friendship and happy relationships between
races and he delights, too, in spontaneous, imaginative people who behave
unconventionally, and leaves you with a great sense of the possibilities of
life. Although this book is particular in its evocation of a culture in will
also appeal to any child has ever worried about keeping up in class or about
making friends, or who has enjoyed dancing, dressing up and imaginative play
NJ
NEW YORK
TIMES BOOK REVIEW APRIL 25, 2006
WHAT'S
COOKING, JAMELA? Written and illustrated by Niki Daly. Farrar, Straus &
Giroux, $16. (Ages 4 to 8)
In the
course of 20-odd children's books, the South African artist and storyteller Niki
Daly has often taken the perspective of a young black compatriot and featured
an ordinary day's particular wonders. In ''Not So Fast Songololo,''
our hero got new sneakers; in ''The Boy on the Beach,'' he got lost (briefly)
amid gigantic sand dunes.
With ''Jamela's Dress'' (1999), Daly introduced readers to a girl
whose smile and spirit pop off the page. More exuberant than mischievous, Jamela managed to get back in her mother's good graces
after causing big trouble with some precious dressmaking material. She was one
of the little queens of her township neighborhood, and Daly's vibrant
watercolor-and-pen illustrations captured the pleasures of being about 7 years
old and surrounded by loving adults.
In ''What's Cooking, Jamela?'' Jamela gets ready
for her usual hot-climate Christmas and helps pick out the chicken she's to
fatten up for holiday dinner. Once she names the chicken and makes her a manger
like baby Jesus', the rest is not hard to guess. After all, as Jamela says, ''you can't eat friends.'' (Her mother's
friends can't help smiling and agreeing.) The chicken eventually escapes,
leading a race through the streets that Jamela hopes
the animal will win.
Plenty of
diverting details fill out the comforting but predictable plot. The text and
pictures are artfully arranged over the pages for maximum drama, speech is
sprinkled with words from six African languages (there's a glossary at the
end), and the fabric in everyone's clothes is gorgeously patterned. Best of all
is the way Daly conveys the warmth and expressiveness of Jamela's
family and neighbors. When mother looks at daughter or Jamela
looks at her grandmother, Gogo, you could even say
they glow. Abby McGanney Nolan
The following review will appear in the September/October issue of The
Horn Book:
Niki Daly Where's Jamela?; illus. by the author 32 pp.
Farrar 8/04 ISBN 0-374-38324-3 16.00 (Preschool, Primary)
The irrepressible Jamela (Jamela's
Dress; What's Cooking, Jamela?)
is back, and Mama has some exciting news-a new job and a new place to live. But
Jamela's not too happy about the plans; she loves
"their old house with its squeaky front gate to swing on" and the
sights and sounds of their neighborhood: "Mrs. Zibi
shouting at her chickens, dogs barking, and children playing." Fed up with
all the fuss over the move, Jamela packs herself in a
box and promptly falls asleep. The ensuing search for Jamela
adds drama, and, as in the other Jamela stories, her
friendly community rallies to help save the day. Young readers will delight in
knowing where she is all along, and in Jamela's
eventual pleasure at discovering her new home, complete with a squeaky front
gate. Daly maintains the child's perspective with immediacy of experience and
lots of sensory details. Jamela's abundant energy
spills over into the cheerful line-and-wash illustrations. Encircled by family
and friends at an impromptu tea party in her new kitchen, Jamela
is assured of love wherever she goes. L.A.
Starred review in Booklist
In this tender, affectionate follow-up to What's
Cooking Jamela? (2001) and Jamela's
Dress (1999), the first double-page spread reveals a jubilant scene: Mama kicks up her heels while waving a letter notifying of
"a job and a new place to stay." But Jamela
slouches at the kitchen table, exuding worry instead of excitement. She
"love[s] their old house," especially the "bedroom window and
the world she saw out of it." The fact that the "world" outside
is a South African township, and that Mama's news represents economic progress,
matters as little to Jamela as it will to most
American children. Childhood issues rather than political ones drive Daly's
storytelling, and his focus remains squarely on the scary prospect of bidding
farewell to the familiar and comfortable. It's a funny packing mixup that lightens Jamela's
mood---along with the excitement of exploring the new house, which brims with cozy
possibilities. The closing scene of Mama and Grandma Gogo
tucking Jamela into her new bed, their contented
profiles framing an expansive view through the window, is both reassuring for
little ones anticipating their own changes of scene, and hopeful for those with
knowledge of the underlying history: the world of non-white South Africans is
slowly getting bigger. ---Jennifer Mattson
The following review will appear in the September 2004 issue
of School Library Journal:
DALY, Niki. Where's Jamela?
illus. by author. unpaged. glossary. CIP. Farrar. 2004. Tr $16. ISBN
0-374-38324-3. LC 2003049485.
PreS-Gr 2-Readers can
almost hear the happy sound of Mama's bangle bracelets jingling as she pumps
her fist with joy when she finds out that she has secured a new job-and with
it, a new place to live. However, young Jamela isn't
happy at the prospect of leaving all of the things she loves best: her squeaky
front gate, her friends, and the evening star that she can see from her bed.
Moving-day mishaps abound, and when a grumpy Jamela
takes refuge in a packing container, she precipitates an upset that involves
visits to numerous neighbors, affording youngsters a full view of her winsome
world. A lovely generosity of spirit on the part of the adults in her life
allows Jamela to redeem herself, regain her dignity,
and settle in to "her new room in her new home-under the same old
sky." A glossary of the South African words that so effectively flavor
this treatment of a familiar theme is appended. Daly's warm, easy watercolors
are full of motion, and convey both the unique sun-seared heat of the South
African setting and the universality of common human experience. The endpapers
are alive with Jamela's crayon drawings of her new
house. With his gift for respecting children and the child in each of us, Daly
offers a reassuring reminder that the love of family and the warmth of
friendship (and even stars) move right along with us, no matter where we go.-Kathy
Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT
Armadillo
(www.armadillomagazine.com)\
Song
for Jamela by Niki Daly
I
think I’m in love. In fact, I’m sure I am because I’m in love with this book –
‘A Song for Jamela’, the story of a little girl’s
daily life in a South African township, a story that will enchant children of
every age. Look at the first sentence, ‘It was the second week of the long
summer holiday and Jamela was bored stiff.’ Does that
ring a bell, parents? Of course, it does, just as it will with every child who
picks this book up.Jamela’s one over-riding interest
is the finals of the Afro-Idols television competition. Her Granny, Go-Go,
tired of seeing her lying around all day, suggests that Jamela
become a receptionist at ‘Divine Braids,’ a ladies’ hairdressing salon owned by
Aunt Beauty. Good, eh? Well, it gets better.We follow
Jamela as she goes to work; walk down the same
streets with her, pass the fruit seller with the watermelon smile and the
ladies making vetkoek - an unsweetened filled
doughnut - according to the helpful Glossary at the back, and at ‘Divine Braids’
meet Aunt Beauty, praise be, Zuki, crabby Mama Bula and Jive Boy. Love ‘em all.
Especially Mama Bula, for every child, regardless of
where they live, has such a Mama in their lives and will identify with Jamela as she tries to keep out of her kind but crabby way.
To Jamela’s delight, who should come into the Salon
but glamorous Miss Bambi Chaka Chaka, star of
Afro-Idols, a character so satisfactorily awesome, I almost heard the strains
of ‘The arrival of the Queen of Sheba,’ rising from the page. Tragedy almost
strikes, however, when Jamela swats at a fly, misses
and smacks Aunt Beauty’s bottom instead, just as she’s trimming the sleeping
Miss Bambi Chaka Chaka’s hair with an electric razor. The razor slips, leaving
the sleeping beauty with a bald patch down the middle of her head.Luckily, Jamela comes to the
rescue with her lovely sunflower lunch basket, for Aunt Beauty takes the
sunflowers and weaves them into what is left of Bambi’s hair. It looks so good
that when she wakes, Miss Chaka Chaka gives everyone
at ‘Divine Braids’ a free ticket for the Show. Well, every child reading this
book will wish they’d been given a free ticket, too. The illustrations in ‘A
Song for Jamela’ are radiant with colour,
vitality and life and yet contain such tenderness, even though we may never
have been in a town like this before, it becomes all at once familiar and
loved. This is a wonderful book, written with great sympathy and love,
admitting the reader into a world so real, so funny and interesting that all
any child will want to do after reading it, is to read it all over again.
Reviewed
by Gwen Grant
The
Independent UK
No More Kisses for Bernard (written
and illustrated by Niki Daly published by Frances Lincoln UK and USA,
Published by Lapa in South Africa – Afr. title Moenie vir Bernard Soen nie
Our
critics choose the best new stories for children to lose themselves in this
summer. Nicholas Tucker begins, with picture books
For older infants, Niki Daly's No More Kisses for Bernard!
(Francis Lincoln,
Ł11.99) is a welcome antidote to those sentimental love-in picture books
featuring permanently beaming human or animal children and their parents.
Bernard is a determined little boy who declares a unilateral prohibition on
over-enthusiastic embraces. Wittily illustrated, this is a story for everyone