Worthy of theme but lacking in execution.
A prolific Mongolian storyteller’s original legend of how the distinctive dwelling known as the ger came to be invented.
Adapted into spare and stately English by renowned storyteller Pellowski, the story is punctuated by quarrels. Once, all living things lived peaceably in “a big house called the earth.” But fights began, and all went to find homes of their own—including a man who, being “very old” and “very intelligent,” instructs his seven sons to gather willow branches, rope, and fleeces to construct a sturdy round shelter. But the house blows down after the old man dies because his sons have ignored his command to “work together and tighten the ropes that keep our home on the ground.” Perhaps to counter the all-male cast of the narrative, Vidal adds silent feminine figures in a few scenes. However, aside from the occasional Bactrian camel or golden eagle, her grassy settings have a generic look, and though each of the sons wears a differently colored robe, in face and feature they are indistinguishable. Moreover, aside from those plain robes there are no decorations or possessions of any sort, culturally distinctive or otherwise, to be seen, and though Pellowski appends a description of how gers are typically furnished, the illustrator’s one glimpse inside shows just empty space.
Worthy of theme but lacking in execution. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-937786-81-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
A pretty but overworked addition to the well-stocked shelf of tributes to a silent but nonetheless eloquent voice for peace.
The story of “Hiroshima’s most famous victim” is matched to delicate sepia illustrations decorated with images of brightly patterned origami cranes.
Oozing sentimentality so gooey it’s a wonder the pages can be separated, this version of the often told tale is narrated by Sadako's cat. It opens with a peaceful August morning overshadowed by a “huge black cloud” before cutting ahead 10 years to Sadako’s hospitalization. The cat curls up in her lap to share visions of future outings together (which seems at best an insensitive brand of comfort). The cat recounts how the girl “fell gently asleep and flew away with 1000 paper cranes” and then embarks on a mission to “carry Sadako’s story out into the world.” Though the numerous folded cranes shine out against pale backdrops in the fine-lined illustrations, Loske depicts the cat as disquietingly eyeless until a final view and, along with Sadako and the other white-faced human figures, with fiery red cheek patches that look like clown makeup. In her afterword, the author assures readers that Sadako “actually lived,” but this mannered, anemic portrayal of that life isn’t likely to make them care.
A pretty but overworked addition to the well-stocked shelf of tributes to a silent but nonetheless eloquent voice for peace. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-988-8341-00-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
A serene, simply retold tale of dreams pursued and achieved.
A young musician finds a clever way to play to a royal audience in this tale from ancient Persia.
Drawn from Ferdowsi’s 11th-century Book of Kings, the tale describes how the dream of Barbad (a seventh-century historical figure) to become King Khosrow’s resident minstrel was blocked by the refusal of Sarkash, the jealous incumbent, to allow him into the palace. Barbad gets his audition at last, however, by painting himself green, hiding in a tree in the royal gardens, and playing from concealment until the delighted king calls him down. Though decorated with peacocks and other Eastern images, Ewart’s watercolor illustrations are done in a realistic rather than “Persian miniature” style and set the episode amid verdant hills and rich interiors awash in candlelit gold. In this general atmosphere of peace and plenty, everyone, even Sarkash (at first), looks happy and smiles engagingly. The artist sometimes has Barbad playing his oud left-handed, sometimes right-, but his face is alight with character, and she leaves him at the end glancing up at viewers with a dimpled grin of well-deserved triumph.
A serene, simply retold tale of dreams pursued and achieved. (source and background notes) (Picture book/folk tale. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-937786-42-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015
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