A fun story with traditional appeal.
Young fairy-tale lovers and cat enthusiasts will purr over this predictably sweet story of royal feline fancy.
In the preface, Henney (The Escape: Naughty Bluejay and Woodpecker, 2014, etc.) cites high printing costs as the reason her book’s illustrations are not in color. The explanation may not have been necessary, however; the black-and-white illustrations lend a classic feel and complement the simple plot. When Princess Trinka—a beautiful, red-and-white ring-tailed cat with golden eyes—can’t sleep because tomcats serenade her at night, a wise old feline advises her to take a vacation. While romping through the woods, the princess is spotted by Basil, a handsome tomcat. Leaving his kindly owner, Basil follows Princess Trinka back to her castle, where he sings beautiful love songs beneath her window, only to leave before the smitten princess can find out who he is. The princess calls for a singing contest in the kingdom to find the mysterious, talented tomcat. There are no big surprises in this romance, however, as Princess Trinka and Basil quickly get together. For the most part, Henney’s narrative is easy reading for children 7 and older. The story’s retro feel is enhanced by its old-fashioned artistic representations, such as Basil’s owner, who is an older woman in a long dress and apron. The animals in the book will please many young readers; e.g., the wise, old cats, though bony and somewhat scraggly, are friendly characters. Princess Trinka is regal in her cape and crown, and the cartoonish “serenading” toms are humorous. Though the storyline is not especially imaginative (there are no unexpected twists or turns), elementary readers who love cats and royal marriages may enjoy this modest tale.
A fun story with traditional appeal.Pub Date: April 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5007-7210-9
Page Count: 58
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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