There's a lot going on here: a story within a story—Aunt Isabel, a bohemian-looking mouse, pauses in her artistic endeavors (her drawings and paintings are informally hung around her snug home) to tell little Penelope a spur-of-the-moment story explicitly designed to demonstrate the construction of a plot. Getting some features from her niece (``When does this story begin?'' ``Long, long ago'') while also pointing out the importance of others (``I think we should leave that Problem part out,'' Penelope complains, but ``Just wait till you hear what happens next!'' her aunt replies), she spins a story with classic elements (romance, villains) and a feminist denouement especially designed for her small audience (the heroine, after being spurned by the king and queen, bravely and cleverly saves the prince; there's a grand celebration, but any possible nuptials will occur only after careers are established). The framing story has an appealing warmth and is deftly interwoven with Aunt Isabel's tale so that both narratives move briskly; Duke's attractive watercolor illustrations are also well paced, and reinforce the similarities between the little mouse and the heroine of her aunt's tale. All in all: an entertaining production, with a light touch that saves it from preachiness; the playful introduction to the elements of fiction is especially intriguing, and should be invaluable to creative-writing programs for young children. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-525-44835-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1991
What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 2, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-83705-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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