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
Sky-based pyrotechnics make for a fun if somewhat confusing telling.
In this collaboration between sci-fi novelist Sanderson and Amulet creator Kibuishi, an unreliable narrator informs readers that here be no dragons.
“A boy sat in a chair.” The book opens on a bespectacled, light-skinned child in old-fashioned attire. The narration continues, “That’s it. He just sat in a chair,” while on the opposite page, the boy’s chair has unexpectedly whisked him heavenward. The narrator attempts to convince readers that just sitting in a chair is boring. As the story continues, however, the boy is attacked by an array of sky ruffians operating vessels; fight scenes and impressive explosions ensue. A dragon makes an appearance as the narrator drones on about how dull the story is. Kibuishi’s detailed cartoon images depict an enticing steampunk-esque world. Adults reading this book to kids might want to read the text first without the pictures; on a second run they can show off the images, neatly illustrating the important interplay of text and visuals in sequential art. Unfortunately, for all that the illustrations maintain the action at a fair clip, near the end the plot grows muddled as the boy gets out of his chair but then tumbles to the ground: Was he falling and then trying to stop himself? Some adult intervention may be required to clarify what precisely is happening on the page.
Sky-based pyrotechnics make for a fun if somewhat confusing telling. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9781250843661
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
Reassuring and endearing.
“Witch” for something; you may get it.
The Witchling’s cozy mountaintop house contains the usual witchy accoutrements—bats, a cauldron, a book of spells. But these don’t compensate for what she really wants—a friend. The Witchling finds a recipe for conjuring one but notices she’s lacking one ingredient: fur from a one-eyed teddy bear. In her mind’s eye, the Witchling envisions a fearsome creature, but she musters courage and whooshes off on her broom to locate it—and lands in the bed of a little girl, the animal’s owner. After the Witchling warns her to beware of bears, the girl explains her dearly loved (stuffed) pal is harmless and will gladly donate his last hair to the cause. The Witchling demurs, recognizing the unbreakable bond between girl and cherished toy while joyfully realizing that, through kindness, she’s found true friendship, too. Friendship stories aren’t new, but this sweet British import, told in lively verses that scan well, will find a receptive audience. Children will enjoy poring over details of the Witchling’s cozy home and appreciate the easy camaraderie the protagonists quickly develop. The charming illustrations, rendered in watercolor, pencil, printed-pattern collage, and Photoshop, feature a light-skinned witch sporting an oversize green, star-bedecked hat; her new friend is brown-skinned. Type that often meanders playfully on pages and employs large capitals for dramatic effect enhances the child appeal. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Reassuring and endearing. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0906-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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