Chip and the Karate Kick (Good Sports)
PreSchool-Grade 2&ndash;Chip O'Hare, a young rabbit, aspires to emulate his television hero, a martial-arts champion. Joining a newdojoin town, along with a horse, a monkey, and othergi-clad friends, he takes lessons from Mr. Leo, who uses historical background, Japanese terminology, and breathing lessons, as well as the flashy kicks and strikes, to teach karate. Chip is an excellent student, but he doesn't earn his yellow belt until he understands how to handle a bully properly and proves that he is truly "learning the spirit of karate." Rockwell successfully captures her audience's attention by providing information without interfering with the pace of the story. Meisel keeps his cartoons fun, such as in the assortment of tails peeping out in a back view of the seated class.&ndash;Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VACopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.