It could be argued that simplifying and softening these tales does neither the stories nor their audience any good, but for...
Fourteen familiar tales are retold in their simplest and most bloodless forms for reading aloud to very young children—an approach somewhat subverted by Hague’s powerful and somewhat surreal pictures.
It opens with “Beauty and the Beast,” and the Beast is genuinely terrifying. Cinderella’s sisters are forgiven so long as they “promise to be good.” Rumpelstiltskin does not tear himself in two but disappears in a huff. Snow White’s lips are “red as a rose,” and the evil queen’s fate is elided. The stories are kept quite short, and usually, as in “The Ugly Duckling” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” the moral or lesson is writ large. Perhaps the least familiar tale is that of “The Seven Ravens,” in which a girl saves her seven brothers, who had been turned birds—an act that involves her cutting off her little finger. Hague’s illustrations are rich in saturated color and sinuous line, and they owe a debt to both the painter Gustav Klimt and the illustrator Arthur Rackham. Some of the motifs seem familiar from other images in Hague’s long career of illustrating fairy tales.
It could be argued that simplifying and softening these tales does neither the stories nor their audience any good, but for those who want short and sweet versions, they are here. (Fairy tales. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-688-14010-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
An unsatisfying story about an unusual book.
What would you do if your favorite book, the one you loved so much you made it your own, went missing?
A brown-skinned kid with glasses and puffy blue-black hair asks, “Have you seen this book?” So begins a humorous tale within a tale narrated in second-person in which the missing book is described cover to cover by its owner, even as it appears up close, page by page, on every spread. The book in question features pictures of unicorns, a dragon, a troll, and more, not to mention creative embellishments added by the child, like colorful stickers, folded-over corners, a picture of a ring, a survey, a page from a completely different book (to replace one yanked out by a little sister), even a baby picture. This lively tale offers stories on two levels, since the kid’s book can be read, too, along with the overarching story. Dynamic and energetic illustrations use a bright palette, a variety of perspectives, and dramatic close-ups of the protagonist’s expressions to draw readers in. However, the ending is more than a bit puzzling—ultimately not delivering on the tongue-in-cheek joke that sustains the story, as the kid’s book, it seems, may not be missing at all: While the protagonist claims to be looking for the book throughout the story, it appears in their outstretched hands at the end. Young readers may have some trouble following this confusing narrative. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An unsatisfying story about an unusual book. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11684-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
Fast, furious, and funny, this book is one to grow on.
The end justifies the beans in this rollicking rhyming tale of giant ambition.
Child genius Hugo Sprout has an invention for every possible need, whether it’s an invisible tricycle or a canine translation device. However, when it comes to movies, roller coasters, and getting picked for kickball, Hugo is consistently deemed too small. No matter. After his father extols the virtues of beans, the boy creates a legume-infused growth potion that has the ability to expand Hugo to monstrous proportions. Unfortunately, the larger he grows, the worse his behavior. Will he see how his poor choices are the only thing truly big about him? Although the occasional squishy rhyme makes its way onto the page, Loren’s ear for cadence is utterly divine (few would have the wherewithal to rhyme “flapjack-o-matic” with “remote-control haddock”). With the book blessedly free of fart jokes in spite of the proliferation of beans on the page, it’s the art that really pops off the page. The illustrations are packed with hundreds of tiny details that will appeal to kids and adults alike. Fans of classic Looney Tunes may see many visual callbacks while the plot and rhymes harken back to old-school Dr. Seuss. Hugo and his family present as White; their community is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fast, furious, and funny, this book is one to grow on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-294116-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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