“Three witches had already eaten a boy and girl’s mother and father, so their grandmother took them to live with her far off in the woods.” The cupboard bare, grandma leaves the children alone, and of course they fall into the clutches of the witches, marvelously depicted with red, green and purple skin; yellow, orange and blue hair; and exceedingly long teeth. The children escape to a tall tree, which the witches commence to chop down. The girl chants, “Block eye, chip!” sending wood into the witches’ eyes, while the boy calls the hounds. Through the unexpected intervention of a large snake, grandma, who has fallen asleep all tuckered out from her trip to get food, wakes just in time, freeing the hounds who devour the hungry witches. Not for the faint-hearted, this tale’s rich oral language begs to be read aloud, and will be welcomed by connoisseurs (of all ages) of the scary story. Includes adapter’s and illustrator’s notes and tributes to Hurston. (Picture book/folktale. 6-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-06-000649-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2006
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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