Jay’s (Swimming Lessons, 1998) sassy Jane returns, coping with a familiar childhood dilemma with her usual verve. Unable to fathom why her parents and grandmother are so excited about her first loose tooth, Jane is appalled by their tales of a tooth fairy who retrieves children’s teeth left under their pillows. Harboring nostalgic feelings for her wayward tooth, Jane endeavors to prevent it from falling out, attempting to brush it until it’s stronger. Alas, all the extra brushing hastens the inevitable outcome. However, Jane relinquishes her tooth to the tooth fairy with plenty of panache, gussying it up with paint and glitter. Jay’s writing is snappy and gleefully irreverent, with Jane providing a running commentary on everything from Grandma’s false teeth (after observing Grandma removing her wig and dentures, Jane keeps a wary eye on her to make sure she doesn’t remove any other appendages) to the nefarious activities of the tooth fairy. “If I went around pulling out people’s teeth, I would probably have to go to jail. I know this because I tried pulling out Jimmy’s tooth during naptime, and I had to sit in the corner all through recess.” The wry humor is an engaging blend of child-like literalness coupled with a keen sense of the absurd, allowing readers to deflate their anxiety over this milestone with laughter. Osiecki’s saw-toothed illustrations adeptly capture Jane’s persona; the pigtailed Jane, sporting snazzy spectacles, is as delightfully unique in the pictures as she is in the story. Lettering is set in Fontesque and small pictures are plunked into the text giving that a rollicking look as well. A super combination. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2000
ISBN: 0-87358-769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Rising Moon
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads! Isadora once again plies her hand using colorful, textured collages to depict her fourth fairy tale relocated to Africa. The narrative follows the basic story line: Taken by an evil sorceress at birth, Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower; Rapunzel and the prince “get married” in the tower and she gets pregnant. The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and tricks the prince, who throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns. The terse ending states: “The prince led Rapunzel and their twins to his kingdom, where they were received with great joy and lived happily every after.” Facial features, clothing, dreadlocks, vultures and the prince riding a zebra convey a generic African setting, but at times, the mixture of patterns and textures obfuscates the scenes. The textile and grain characteristic of the hewn art lacks the elegant romance of Zelinksy’s Caldecott version. Not a first purchase, but useful in comparing renditions to incorporate a multicultural aspect. (Picture book/fairy tale. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24772-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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