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THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE

Name: THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Author: Betty Miles
ISBN: 0-689-81792-4

adapted by Betty Miles & illustrated by Paul Meisel ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998

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The well-known fable is economized in a Ready-to-Read edition from Miles (see review, above); the events of the race now take place entirely in dialogue, sometimes in a Dick-and-Jane staccato. Quotation marks and speech bubbles have been abandoned in favor of brief blocks of text placed in proximity to each animal speaker. Once the race begins, it's not long before Hare settles into a nap; a night and a day later, bespectacled, sneaker-wearing Tortoise is still plodding along, slow but steady, coaching himself—``One step, another step. One step and another'' until he takes first place. Meisel's whimsical, uncluttered line drawings fit the format well, bright enough to attract attention and to express action. Larger animal characters sport T-shirts with identifying letters—H for Hare, B for Bear- -while a cheering section of smaller creatures displays banners proclaiming ``Yippee'' and ``Hooray,'' highlighting the tale with humor. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-689-81792-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1998

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SKY IS FALLING!
adapted by Betty Miles & illustrated by Cynthia Fisher

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GINGERBREAD MOUSE

by Katy Bratun & illustrated by Katy Bratun ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2003

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What kind of house would be best for a mouse? This well-equipped rodent has a complete wardrobe, furniture, and even her own sled and backpack. Bratun’s detailed paintings introduce a cute mouse character whose cozy home in a tree is ruined by a falling branch. She decamps to a nearby home and takes up residence in their gingerbread house, making new furnishings out of household materials. On Christmas Eve, Santa provides her with an even better home in a furnished dollhouse, and the little girl of the house leaves her a gingerbread mouse cookie as a present on Christmas morning. Little girls who like miniatures and dollhouses will enjoy this simple story, with three different houses full of tiny details. Includes a recipe for gingerbread cookies. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003

ISBN: 0-06-009080-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2003

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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THE POLAR BEAR WISH

by Lori Evert ; illustrated by Per Breiehagen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4, 2018

For fans of Evert and Breiehagen’s Wish Book series.

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Anja and her dog, Birki, do their best to get to a Christmas party in a frozen Nordic landscape.

Anja wishes she had a dog sled to harness Birki to in order to get to the party. The next morning, her cousin Erik appears with his dog sled and an offer to take her there. Lost in a blizzard, they encounter talking wolves who take them to a tent where they can spend the night. A baby polar bear named Tiny appears, separated from his mother. The following day takes them all on an adventure through glaciers and fjords, past an ice castle, and finally to Tiny’s mother and to the party. This digitally produced book is illustrated with photographs that capture the Nordic setting. Unfortunately, the overall effect is weirdly flat, with elements awkwardly set together in images that lack depth. A polar bear perches awkwardly on top of oddly scaled pack ice; Anja and Erik spend a night in the ice castle in niches chiseled into the wall, but they seem oddly disconnected from it. The book has an old-fashioned, European feel; the white, blond children’s red caps and traditional clothing stand out against the dim, bluish winter light. But the wooden, overlong text does little to cultivate the magical fantasy feeling that it’s aiming for.

For fans of Evert and Breiehagen’s Wish Book series. (Picture book. 5-7)