A gimmicky use of the Greek myths that falls flat.
This entry in the Mini Myths series is meant to encourage sharing through the Greek myth of Aphrodite.
A rosy-cheeked boy wearing a superhero cape holds up an apple “Who wants to trade for my apple?” he asks. “Me!” “I will!” and “I do!” three eager little girls respond. One offers to trade her crown, another her puzzle, and the last one her toy. As the toy is accepted in trade for the apple, the winner gleefully exclaims, “I won! I won! I won!” Maybe. The girls left out of the swap proceed to play, excluding the winner, until she offers to share her apple. Now everyone is happy. Where to start with the problems with this book? Perhaps with the mismatch between content and format. This is a board book, and therefore one intended for an audience roughly 6 months to 2 years old. It is hard to imagine these words coming out of the mouths of kids in this age group, never mind understanding concepts such as trading, competing, and shaming. If it is intended for an older audience, say 3- to 5-year-olds, why the board-book format? While this older group would quite easily relate to the story and its message, the gossamer-thin connection to the Greek myth is a stretch. Companion title Be Careful, Icarus! shares the same problems.
A gimmicky use of the Greek myths that falls flat. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1678-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable
A mouse searches for and finally finds her missing Seder plate.
Pippa is an industrious house-cleaning mouse. And no wonder—Passover is starting this very evening. Dusting and sweeping finished, she turns her attention to setting the table as a pot of chicken stew bubbles away on the stovetop. But there is one very important object that is missing: the “special Seder plate.” Frantically, the mouse searches through boxes and cupboards and finally ventures into the yard. First she encounters a very large cat and asks if it has seen the plate. “No,” answers the cat and points her to a snake, who sends her to an owl, who directs her to Golda Fish, prettily swimming in the water. Success! Kirkfield’s little tale is written in rhyming couplets with much repetition of “QUIVER! QUAVER! SHIVER! SHAKE!” for emphasis with each interaction with a predator, so readers will be mightily puzzled when the formerly frightful critters join Pippa at the holiday table. Weber’s gouache, crayon, and collage illustrations are sweetly pretty. The final illustration features a Seder plate with transliterated Hebrew and an English translation of the components. Readers familiar with the holiday may find this mildly enjoyable, but others will likely want and need more information.
In the end too much is left unanswered, making this book pleasant but only passable . (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4162-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Crisp and tart by turns, this is one book worth fighting over.
Prepare to savor this title’s original yet familiar feel.
This rhythmic read features a slew of greedy animals, all with their eyes on a prize. A single red apple hangs at the “tip-tippy top” of a tree, poised to fall at any moment. Its precarious position isn’t missed by the hungry animals below, each determined to make the fruit their own. One by one, a different animal expresses their covetous desires in rhyme (“Mmm-mmm, how divine. / When it tumbles to the ground, / it’ll be all mine”). This is followed immediately by different descriptions of how each animal hides. Mouse “zippety-eeked” beneath a leaf to wait, while Hare “hoppety-boinged,” and fox “waggety-dashed.” Such delicious descriptions make this an ideal read-aloud for large groups, while Rohmann’s art plays up the crew’s wild apple-eating fantasies with a colorful combination of stained paper and relief printmaking. For all this, it’s quite satisfying when the fallen fruit finally ends up in the paws of an opossum, willing to share with a worthy worm. This one has all the trappings of a storytime classic—don’t be surprised when young readers eschew its central message and declare this book itself to be unshareable and definitely “mine!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Crisp and tart by turns, this is one book worth fighting over. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780593181669
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Random
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
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