The spunky heroine in this version of an English folk tale outfoxes a witch and saves her family from destitution. When a family’s savings is stolen, one of two daughters sets out to find a job. Nothing is available in town, so she sets out for the country. Along the way, she comes upon an oven full of bread, a cow that needs milking, and a tree laden with ripe apples. They cry out for help; she pulls out the bread, milks the cow, and picks the apples. When she ends up working for the witch who robbed her parents of their purse, the girl snatches the purse and runs home, aided by those she helped. The other sister sets out, hoping for similar triumphs, but her neglect of those who asked for help leads to her downfall. Harvey’s paintings, which bless both daughters with pluck rather than cuteness, add an unexpected expressiveness to a well- known tale: the second sister is oblivious, wearing Walkman headphones; the bright red moneybag teases the characters, flapping its long tails wherever it goes. (Picture book/folklore. 6-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 15, 1998
ISBN: 0-8234-1354-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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