illustrated by Ellen Raskin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 15, 1973
Instead of dressing up an anti-smoking message in comic clothing, Ellen Raskin outdoes the Victorian spoof, using Moe's dangerous habit as an occasion for pure farce — and for parading her stylishly flamboyant menagerie. There are the vibrantly striped and colorfully attired zebra family Zack, Zelda Mae and Little Zeke, there is their rich cousin Moe Q. McGlutch, a donkey whom they visit in his domed and minareted orange-red palace, there are elephant fire fighters (required by Moe's frequent smoking accidents), an elegant ram serving ice cream, a billowing fish monster and — in the same shades of green — a dragon, attracted by Moe's smoke rings, who eventually carries the donkey off. Thus Little Zeke, who has been telling his cousin all along that he smokes too much, is proven correct — and for his wisdom inherits all of Moe's wealth. It's fun to read the pictures for details the words don't tell, but it's sometimes hard to see the smoke signals for all of Raskin's brilliant visual patterns.
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1973
ISBN: 081930686X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Parents Magazine Press
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1973
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Christy Webster ; illustrated by Brigette Barrager & Chiara Fiorentino
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by Tom Lichtenheld & Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Mike Yamada
illustrated by James Marshall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988
With the same delightfully irreverent spirit that he brought to his retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" (1987), Marshall enlivens another favorite. Although completely retold with his usual pungent wit and contemporary touches ("I don't mind if I do," says Goldilocks, as she tries out porridge, chair, and bed), Marshall retains the stories well-loved pattern, including Goldilocks escaping through the window (whereupon Baby Bear inquires, "Who was that little girl?"). The illustrations are fraught with delicious humor and detail: books that are stacked everywhere around the rather cluttered house, including some used in lieu of a missing leg for Papa Bear's chair; comically exaggerated beds—much too high at the head and the foot; and Baby Bear's wonderfully messy room, which certainly brings the story into the 20th century. Like its predecessor, perfect for several uses, from picture-book hour to beginning reading.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988
ISBN: 0140563660
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988
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by James Marshall illustrated by Maurice Sendak
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edited by James Marshall & illustrated by James Marshall
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