Inhabiting this tender love story is a gentle giantess who lives in isolation at the edge of the woods so that she won't scare people with her towering height. When a friendly woodsman builds a house nearby, his affection for his reclusive neighbor grows, even after he learns of her true size. He doesn't tell her what he knows, but invites her to the town carnival, letting her know that she'll ``see everything there from elves and fairies to witches and giants.'' The giantess is overjoyed to be mingling with people, and, at the carnival, she is surprised by admirers of her ``costume,'' all of whom point out the benefits of being very tall, and all of whom accept her when she confesses her height. The giantess gains self-esteem, gets her man, and lives happily ever after. This sweet story, translated from the German, will capture the hearts of young romantics. Seelig's timeless art does not play down the heroine's size—she is large among the other carnival attendees, but she is also lovely; the illustrations are perfect in their soft, misty beauty. (Picture book/folklore. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-916291-76-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The text of this alphabet book makes a nice birthday gift, but the wrappings—the exquisitely crafted illustrations—are even better. Twenty-six dandily dressed critters (there is no animal for X, but the Lion has a scion) proclaim birthday greetings to lucky readers. The accompanying verses by Metaxas sometimes clank and rattle, but almost always play second fiddle to the drawings. ``O is for Orangutan,/who from a limb is seen to hang'' is awkward, but the ape's picture is worth its weight in words. Raglin (Pecos Bill, Picture Book Studio, 1991) shows a British influence: his impish humor and unstuffy formality are reminiscent of Tenniel or Graeme Base, though he does not possess the dynamism found in the latter's popular works. Readers with a knack for history can entertain themselves by trying to figure out the historical periods of the animals' elegant costumes. This bunch is a treat to behold. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-671-88306-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
Like Tana Hoban's photographic books, an exploration of related concepts through visual images—in this case, the lovely, evocative paintings of a Danish artist. The simple text points out that ``Footprints come and footprints go'' with a series of direct statements (``Footprints in the mud stay put until a gentle rain washes them away''), then follows shadows through a day before making a final comparison: ``Shadows...go, never leaving footprints.'' What's special here is the impressionistic double-spread art, effectively conveying the evanescence of these fleeting images with an imaginative appeal that goes well beyond the text. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 24, 1992
ISBN: 0-671-78716-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1992
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