Reviews: (by author)

Martin, C.L.G. Uff Da. Illus. Richard Clark. Berkeley: Tricycle Press, 2004. $14.95. ISBN 1-58246-117-1. 30 pp.

Uff Da is a story about a boy named Tim who is made to feel like he is too small to help with the repairs in the family's new home. The only job he has been assigned is to get his uncle the phone when yet another problem with the house is discovered. Each time he is denied an opportunity to be of assistance, he goes to his room to create a small town he calls Timmertown. He finally finds a way to prove that he can be helpful by posting signs and directing the foot traffic of his large, hectic family though the house.

This is an empowering story for children, helping them to realize their own potential even in big circumstances. As a child we all remember feeling helpless when it came to "adult" issues, and Tim finds his own way to overcome the obstacle of size and age.

Recommended
Holly Boland, May 2004

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