THERE WAS AN OLD GIANT WHO SWALLOWED A CLOCK

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THERE WAS AN OLD GIANT WHO SWALLOWED A CLOCK

Name: THERE WAS AN OLD GIANT WHO SWALLOWED A CLOCK
Author: Becky Davies
ISBN: 978-1-68010-076-1

by Becky Davies ; illustrated by Elina Ellis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2018

Great fun.

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And not a small clock, either!

Apparently, this giant is related to that old lady who swallowed a fly. He is also a clock aficionado, or perhaps a clock repairman, as he’s surrounded by them. In any event, the white giant “had such a shock when he swallowed that clock!” After this, he swallows his knitting, a moth that he finds in his closet, some honey, even a bear. (“He swallowed the bear to eat up the honey.”) Next, he swallows a net “to catch the bear.” He tries a boat to “pull in the net.” Then he swallows the sea to “wash down the boat,” and finally tries swallowing the moon. Why? To “soak up the sea. / Not very clever—I’m sure you’ll agree!” Ingenious book design features a die-cut hole in the right-hand page, showing the clock that he has swallowed. The left-hand page features that first verse. Then when readers turn the pages, the hole on the left-hand page repeats that first verse in smaller type, while through the increasingly large holes on the right-hand pages, readers see the swallowed item(s). By the end, the hole is large, the verse is long, and the giant’s stomach sure to succumb to indigestion. Ellis’ pictures are refreshingly kooky, filled with various cats, mice, and other small critters who view the goings-on with some interest. Davies wisely sticks to the meter of her inspiration, and caregivers will likely sing that tune as they share the book.

Great fun. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-68010-076-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW TO MAKE A BOOK
by Becky Davies ; illustrated by Patricia Hu

- BOOK REVIEW
CITIES OF THE WORLD
by Becky Davies ; illustrated by Josie Portillo

- BOOK REVIEW
I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ALL THE STARS
by Becky Davies ; illustrated by Dana Brown

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

A nice but not requisite purchase.

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A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE MERMAID
adapted by Hannah Eliot ; illustrated by Nivea Ortiz

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

- BOOK REVIEW
RAPUNZEL
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

- BOOK REVIEW
RAPUNZEL
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

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IN THE SKY AT NIGHTTIME

by Laura Deal ; illustrated by Tamara Campeau ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.

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A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.

The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)