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THE NUTCRACKER

Name: THE NUTCRACKER
Author: David Freeman
ISBN: 1-85793-545-4

adapted by David Freeman & illustrated by Joanna Isles ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1997

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An uninspiring version of the famous ballet is decorated, not illustrated, with undue attention on borders, designs, and patterns, painted in attenuated variants of candy colors, and characters and action in the background. Freeman proceeds as if readers are as familiar with the story as he is, stating that Clara and her brother, Fritz, watch ``in awe and amazement as the guests arrived.'' Nothing awesome appears in the text or in the pictures; that page portrays two silly-looking guests in disastrous parodies of party attire, along with a child who turns out to be Clara (almost out of the frame) and Fritz nowhere to be found; ribbons and confetti fill all of the small scene's space, yet fail to depict anything extraordinary. The events of the narrative are not well-portrayed; instead, one small action is usually the focus and the rest of the page is filled with ornamentation. The book tells the story adequately for those on the way to the ballet, but the charm of Isles's work for A Proper Tea (1989) is lost on this one. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: July 1, 1997

ISBN: 1-85793-545-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Pavilion/Trafalgar

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1997

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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THE BEST CHEF IN SECOND GRADE

by Katharine Kenah & illustrated by Abby Carter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2007

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An impending school visit by a celebrity chef sends budding cook Ollie into a tailspin. He and his classmates are supposed to bring a favorite family food for show and tell, but his family doesn’t have a clear choice—besides, his little sister Rosy doesn’t like much of anything. What to do? As in their previous two visits to Room 75, Kenah builds suspense while keeping the tone light, and Carter adds both bright notes of color and familiar home and school settings in her cartoon illustrations. Eventually, Ollie winkles favorite ingredients out of his clan, which he combines into a mac-and-cheese casserole with a face on top that draws delighted praise from the class’s renowned guest. As Ollie seems to do his kitchen work without parental assistance, a cautionary tip or two (and maybe a recipe) might not have gone amiss here, but the episode’s mouthwatering climax and resolution will guarantee smiles of contentment all around. (Easy reader. 6-7)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-06-053561-2

Page Count: 48

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BEST SEAT IN KINDERGARTEN
by Katharine Kenah ; illustrated by Abby Carter

- BOOK REVIEW
THE VERY STUFFED TURKEY
by Katharine Kenah ; illustrated by Binny Talib

- BOOK REVIEW
FERRY TAIL
by Katharine Kenah ; illustrated by Nicole Wong

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SEE PIP POINT

From the Adventures of Otto series

by David Milgrim & illustrated by David Milgrim ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2003

Emergent readers will like the humor in little Pip’s pointed requests, and more engaging adventures for Otto and Pip will be...

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In his third beginning reader about Otto the robot, Milgrim (See Otto, 2002, etc.) introduces another new friend for Otto, a little mouse named Pip.

The simple plot involves a large balloon that Otto kindly shares with Pip after the mouse has a rather funny pointing attack. (Pip seems to be in that I-point-and-I-want-it phase common with one-year-olds.) The big purple balloon is large enough to carry Pip up and away over the clouds, until Pip runs into Zee the bee. (“Oops, there goes Pip.”) Otto flies a plane up to rescue Pip (“Hurry, Otto, Hurry”), but they crash (and splash) in front of some hippos with another big balloon, and the story ends as it begins, with a droll “See Pip point.” Milgrim again succeeds in the difficult challenge of creating a real, funny story with just a few simple words. His illustrations utilize lots of motion and basic geometric shapes with heavy black outlines, all against pastel backgrounds with text set in an extra-large typeface.

Emergent readers will like the humor in little Pip’s pointed requests, and more engaging adventures for Otto and Pip will be welcome additions to the limited selection of funny stories for children just beginning to read. (Easy reader. 5-7)