Familiar fairy-tale motifs and folkloric repetition make this a solid choice for newly independent readers.
A monster story from Chile, tailor-made for new readers.
When the king tires of his three naughty daughters’ tricks, he turns them into oranges and stations a guard under the tree they hang from to keep them safe. When monsters Grim and Grunt hear about the orange princesses, they inveigle their youngest brother, Grizzle-Tail, into terrifying the guard and making off with the fruit one at a time. The king is left in despair after two of the oranges are thus captured. Servant Pedro steps up and offers to guard the final orange. When Grizzle-Tail comes back, Pedro pierces his skin as he grabs the orange and flies away, leaving a trail of blood. Pedro follows the trail, Hansel-and-Gretel style, until he finds not only the first two (cowardly) guards, but the monsters’ land and the princesses, too. A dandy trickster tale on many levels, it offers monsters scary enough to chill the youngest readers without causing nightmares. With saturated acrylics and droll dialogue in speech bubbles, the illustrations both extend the text and keep the action zipping along.
Familiar fairy-tale motifs and folkloric repetition make this a solid choice for newly independent readers. (sources) (Folktale/early reader. 6-10)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-84686-910-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Barefoot Books
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Larded with earnest purpose but unconvincing and far from likely to be the first call for attention to America’s weight...
With a message-driven tale of a plump lad who turns over a new leaf, an ex-mayor of New York and his sister clobber readers with the Board of Education.
To judge from the contemporary dress of the figures in Hoefer’s inexpert illustrations, this isn’t intended to be autobiographical despite the main character’s name—though a breezy admission in the closing lecture that the co-authors were both "chubby" children does creates a certain resonance. Round as the apple he discards from his lunch every day, young Eddie chows down on fatty foods and avoids playground games for fear of embarrassment—until a friend tells him that he’s “a little heavy and out of shape. Maybe it’s because of the way you eat.” The next day Eddie begins asking his mom for healthier breakfasts than bagels with butter and also heads for the park to jog. A “few weeks” later he’s nimble enough to chase down a runaway baby carriage, hold his own in a playground dodgeball game and even join the school’s soccer team. Despite a seemingly simple program—eat less, cut down on the cookies, exercise regularly—will Eddie’s example prompt similar sudden epiphanies in rotund readers? Fat chance.
Larded with earnest purpose but unconvincing and far from likely to be the first call for attention to America’s weight problem that children or parents will encounter. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-60478-378-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Zagat
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Great for both Halloween and the start of a new school year, this is certain to provide more than a few laughs to kids who...
In this cautionary tale that combines humor and a touch of magic, good behavior is the lesson of the day when a particularly naughty class of students has a substitute teacher.
The seven-tentacled, green substitute teacher, Mr. Creacher speaks in rhyme and glares from his single eye (in front that is; he's got three in back). He regales the class with tales of children who failed to behave in school and the fates that befell them. There’s Keith, the glue-eater who stuck to all he touched, Zach, the daydreamer who accidentally ate the class pet, and Kylie, the artist, whose drawing came to life and ravaged the classroom. Then, Beauty and the Beast–like, Mr. Creacher reveals that he himself was a naughty child, put under a spell and sentenced to teach children about their wicked ways. It works—the children promise to reform, and with his debt now repaid, Mr. Creacher can return to his own childhood a changed boy. Gall’s illustrations use speech bubbles that drip with green slime and graphic-novel elements to great effect, creating artwork that pops off the pages and appears almost three-dimensional. Touches of humor take the edge off some of the more frightening scenes.
Great for both Halloween and the start of a new school year, this is certain to provide more than a few laughs to kids who have seen through Viola Swamp’s disguise. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 5, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-08915-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
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