In his note to the reader, Fancher (The Range Eternal, p. 1222, etc.) writes, “I’ve shortened the text to allow more room for the artwork,” as an explanation for this abbreviated version of the beloved classic. Shortened indeed: Williams’s poetic passage introducing the Skin Horse has been reduced to: “The Skin Horse was old and wise, and he knew all about being Real.” The rest is pared down to match, leaving a tale that does still—faintly—echo the original’s lyricism, but is less likely to lose the attention of, as Fancher puts it, “a wiggly two-year-old” being forced to listen to it. The art is, as promised, all full-paged and space-filling: quiet compositions in which the Velveteen Rabbit, the Boy, and other figures are large, soft-surfaced forms, viewed close-up, and from a child’s-eye level to enhance the feeling of intimacy. The tale’s more philosophical aspects will still elude most of the nursery school set, but sharing this summary may make some listeners more receptive to the Real story, when they’re old enough to appreciate it. On the other hand, perhaps they’ll think they’ve read it already. Why not just wait? (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84134-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Anne Schwartz/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2002
Nine Naughty Kittens (42 pp.; $14.95; Oct.; 1-888444-62-2) A rhyming counting book launches nine boisterous kittens on a mission to reunite their family. One-line teasers appear with the current accumulation of kittens; lift-up half-pages reveal every newcomer’s unlikely location, e.g., “Five furry kittens find a pile of sticks/Jasper’s sleeping under them, and then there are six.” Jennings’s rhymes carry the story forward, while Church’s illustrations aptly demonstrate just how mischievous kittens can be. The positive message and endearing conclusion that reunites the kittens with their mother make this book a winner for members of the learning-to-count set, and for cat-lovers, as well. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-888444-62-2
Page Count: 42
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1999
A young kitten is softly serenaded off to sleep in this cozy tale. Playful rhymes highlight a bustling day in the life of a kitten: scampering after mice, stalking through the lawn, and wreaking havoc with its insatiable curiosity. As twilight falls, the sleepy feline clambers into a favored basket and settles in for a peaceful snooze, secure in the fact that the loving narrator will watch over her. Spinelli’s (In My New Yellow Shirt, p. 746, etc.) comforting poem gently moves readers from playtime to bedtime. Her rhymes are a beguiling blend of whimsy and wonder; interspersed among wry verses that capture the frisky nature of young felines are simple lines filled with bewitching imagery. “Smile your cozy cat grin / Purr your drowsy purr / Snuggle as the bright moon / Dapples down your fur.” Mortimer’s gorgeously detailed, life-like watercolors depicting the rambunctious feline will have readers reaching out to stroke the impossibly soft-looking fur. She also adds a dash of sly humor to her illustrations. Throughout the tale, a mouse can be spotted in every spread, with sometimes just a tail or inquisitive ears visible. This game of cat and mouse concludes with the final illustration showing the two blissfully snuggled up together, fast asleep. Warm and inviting: an ideal wind-down tale for bedtime. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7868-0458-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2001
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