Told in the fashion of a Greek folktale, this story from newcomers Manna and Mitakidou has neither the steam nor the invention to match the impressive artwork of Potter's debut. The Princess Areti crafts her own suitor from three pounds each of almonds, sugar, and semolina. ``On the fortieth day God brought the man to life,'' dubbed Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, who is ``five times beautiful and ten times kind.'' A dastardly queen from a far-off land hears tell of this special gent and steals him away. Areti embarks on an odyssey to find her beau, powwows with the mothers of the sun, moon, and stars, and receives a nut from each: ``When in need, break it.'' Areti locates Mr. Semolina-Semolinus and deploys the nuts in an effort to capture him back from the wicked queen. As she is about to fail for the third time, the story turns, unsatisfyingly, on a tailor's complaint instead of Areti's own efforts. Threads dangle, and the power of the tale seeps away. The illustrations, with skewed perspectives, eccentric characterizations, superb color sense, and whimsical angles and swoops of line, elevate the tale; readers will be looking for stronger future efforts from these three. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-689-81093-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Very young gardeners will need more information, but for certain picky eaters, the suggested strategy just might work.
A young spinach hater becomes a spinach lover after she has to grow her own in a class garden.
Unable to trade away the seed packet she gets from her teacher for tomatoes, cukes or anything else more palatable, Sylvia reluctantly plants and nurtures a pot of the despised veggie then transplants it outside in early spring. By the end of school, only the plot’s lettuce, radishes and spinach are actually ready to eat (talk about a badly designed class project!)—and Sylvia, once she nerves herself to take a nibble, discovers that the stuff is “not bad.” She brings home an armful and enjoys it from then on in every dish: “And that was the summer Sylvia Spivens said yes to spinach.” Raff uses unlined brushwork to give her simple cartoon illustrations a pleasantly freehand, airy look, and though Pryor skips over the (literally, for spinach) gritty details in both the story and an afterword, she does cover gardening basics in a simple and encouraging way.
Very young gardeners will need more information, but for certain picky eaters, the suggested strategy just might work. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9836615-1-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Readers to Eaters
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2012
Come November, lots of people would cast their vote for Oliver’s teacher—just the kind of secure, commanding, compassionate presence it would be good to see in the White House. Arranged by Brunkus in warmly agreeable two-page spreads—the left side depicting the teacher tending to her responsibilities at school, the right side showing her attending to the same qualities as chief executive—Oliver tells us of her fondness for white houses, that she likes to be followed about, likes to travel, knows how to keep the attention of her charges, doesn’t mind any number of meetings, and signs important documents. Then Winters ups the ante: this gray-haired, bespeckled wise soul also knows first-hand how to react to emergencies, handle health-care issues, is interested in finding people jobs, keeping the Earth clean, and knows—here’s the kicker—how to listen. It all starts so early, these fundamentals of a sensitive existence, and Winters makes the parallels simple to digest. Here’s a third-party candidate to get behind. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-525-47186-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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