Splendid introductions, chock-full of villainous revelations and insights both figurative and literal.
The title can be taken literally, as the figures of a wolf, a giant, and a witch posing on the right sides of each big spread are kitted out with artful multilayered flaps that, lifted up, reveal contents of heads and stomachs as well as underclothes and pockets full of knives, captive children, or other treasures.
Thus, readers tantalized by the wolf’s list of strengths and flaws and a full version of “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats” beneath the gatefold opposite can peel aside his pelt to see him clad in “Grandma’s nightgown,” open up his head to see strategies for getting into various houses, move his jaws up and down to marvel at his big teeth, and lift up a cut spiral to view kids and other victims in his “Misery-guts.” Or lift the witch’s petticoat for a gander at her underpants, or peer beneath the giant’s vest to reveal tattoos with “Hangry,” “Sausage Power,” and other legends. Each villain is presented with one unabridged tale (“Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Alyoshka and Baba Yaga” are the other two) and lots of oblique but easily recognizable references (“THINGS I HATE: Mirrors, girls fairer than I, children who are too smart, wide open ovens”). In addition, each profile includes a list of other related, popular stories (mostly but not entirely European). The witch, the giant, and all of the smaller human figures are white.
Splendid introductions, chock-full of villainous revelations and insights both figurative and literal. (Novelty/folklore. 6-10)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-776571-98-7
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
An enigmatic, quirky representation of an active imagination in search of understanding and companionship.
A child finds connection to the world all around in this Korean import.
The illustrations in this unusual picture book achieve a 3-D effect reminiscent of claymation. The opening scene shows an aerial view of a playground scattered with maple and gingko leaves; a tethered dog watches a child aiming at marbles. Accustomed to spending time alone and solitary play, Tong Tong’s fertile imagination infuses a bag of assorted spherical hard candies with powers that give voice to unlikely speakers, such as the living room sofa and Marbles the old dog, each speaking with Tong Tong to share a sentient perspective. The hard candies also channel the tough love hidden within Tong Tong’s father and Grandma’s bubbly, reassuring voice emanating from another realm. The candies’ magic reveals yet another dimension when Tong Tong is drawn outdoors to witness nature’s beauty as copious falling leaves bid farewell to the season. Through these uncanny exchanges, Tong Tong not only makes surprising discoveries, but also delves into complex emotions, celebrates a continuing relationship with Grandma, and takes courageous steps toward a tantalizing conclusion. The enhanced artwork establishes depth and perspective, featuring details some may find initially unsettling—along with the cryptic, open-ended narrative. That said, depictions of facial expressions are skillful and endearing, and the interplay between text and illustrations will cause readers to linger and ponder.
An enigmatic, quirky representation of an active imagination in search of understanding and companionship. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2959-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Amazon Crossing Kids
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Lovely and evocative, just the thing to spark an interest in the original and its sequels—and the upcoming film sequel, Mary...
Refined, spit-spot–tidy illustrations infuse a spare adaptation of the 1934 classic with proper senses of decorum and wonder.
Novesky leaves out much—the Bird Woman, Adm. Boom, that ethnically problematic world tour, even Mr. and Mrs. Banks—but there’s still plenty going on. Mary Poppins introduces Jane and Michael (their twin younger sibs are mentioned but seem to be left at home throughout) to the Match-Man and the buoyant Mr. Wigg, lets them watch Mrs. Corry and her daughters climb tall ladders to spangle the night sky with gilt stars, and takes them to meet the zoo animals (“Bird and beast, star and stone—we are all one,” says the philosophical bear). At last, when the wind changes, she leaves them with an “Au revoir!” (“Which means, Dear Reader, ‘to meet again.’ ”) Slender and correct, though with dangling forelocks that echo and suggest the sweeping curls of wind that bring her in and carry her away, Mary Poppins takes the role of impresario in Godbout’s theatrically composed scenes, bearing an enigmatic smile throughout but sharing with Jane and Michael (and even the parrot-headed umbrella) an expression of wide-eyed, alert interest as she shepherds them from one marvelous encounter to the next. The Corrys have brown skin; the rest of the cast presents white.
Lovely and evocative, just the thing to spark an interest in the original and its sequels—and the upcoming film sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, which opens in December 2018. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-328-91677-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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