A charming, well-illustrated fairy tale about nurturing happiness.
When a prince needs cheering up, a young baker works to bring him the perfect loaf of challah in this children’s picture book.
In a small Jewish village, a girl named Zlatah Leah makes “the best challahs in the land.” One day, a messenger from the palace arrives with a plea for help from the king and queen. Their son, Prince Isaac, used to be cheerful, but now he never smiles or laughs. Can the villagers help? Zlatah Leah hopes her challah will do the trick but encounters mishaps with her first two loaves. As she’s mixing her third batch, the girl weeps for the prince and prays for his happiness—and her challah is perfect. Tasting it, the prince smiles and laughs at last, and eventually he and Zlatah Leah wed. In her debut book, Sharp provides a pleasing, well-told variation on classic fairy-tale motifs: the unsmiling royal, three attempts at success, and a happy ending. Though Jewish children may especially like seeing their culture centered, any reader can enjoy it. Tung provides folk art–style illustrations in rich, earthy shades that feel as warmly inviting as the story itself. A challah recipe is included, although the measurements are inexact, braiding isn’t mentioned, and the spices included aren’t traditional.
A charming, well-illustrated fairy tale about nurturing happiness.Pub Date: April 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946351-62-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mosaica Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom.
Holy bedtime, Batman!
In a sleepy-looking neighborhood under a dusky cerulean sky, a young, brown-haired, white boy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed: he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, picks up his toys, and feeds his fish. In a parallel visual narrative, beckoned by the cat's-eye–yellow bat-signal, Batman keeps Gotham safe for another night by catching crooks, locking them away, and avenging those who have been wronged. Though the two characters are quite different, through a carefully flexible narrative, Dahl and Beavers weave a convincing tale of just how similar they might be. “It’s time to take care of business” describes the child’s trip to the potty and Batman’s dive down a manhole equally well, for instance. Beavers' art is visually striking and vibrantly hued, perfect for keeping young eyes glued to each page. Dahl's economical text is cadenced with a gentle lilt, just right for a bedtime read-aloud. Young fans of the caped crusader will delight in spying their favorite characters. In the already-overstuffed bedtime-book market, this is certainly a niche read, but it hits its mark well, delivering fun without darkness. A “bedtime checklist” at the end aptly includes “story time.”
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-732-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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