In this play about playing, Reiser (Two Mice in Three Fables, 1995, etc.) provides a lesson about conflict resolution as well as a playable scenario about best friends Ruby and Beryl, who independently come up with the perfect game to play when their fathers take them to the park. Trouble is, it's the same game—horse and rider—and each wants to play the wild, tricky, beribboned horse. For a time, it's a stand-off, and Reiser's Sharpie-and-Crayola-marker art cleanly shows each girl's transformation into the headstrong horse, right down to Beryl's eyeglasses. Each girl tries to convince the other that a horse needs a rider, and when that doesn't do the trick, each determines to be both horse and rider. But this isn't right either; each girl recognizes the real problem, chorusing, ``But I wanted to play with YOU!'' After a cooling-off period, the girls separately devise the same solution: a new game in which two centaurs play together. The symmetry of the piece is somewhat disconcerting—by giving each girl and idea equal weight and value, the exercise is sterile and clipped instead of the emotional morass typical of most arguments. The bright, chipper look, however, will win readers; it's not hard to imagine children acting this out. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-688-15199-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1997
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your dreads! Isadora once again plies her hand using colorful, textured collages to depict her fourth fairy tale relocated to Africa. The narrative follows the basic story line: Taken by an evil sorceress at birth, Rapunzel is imprisoned in a tower; Rapunzel and the prince “get married” in the tower and she gets pregnant. The sorceress cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and tricks the prince, who throws himself from the tower and is blinded by thorns. The terse ending states: “The prince led Rapunzel and their twins to his kingdom, where they were received with great joy and lived happily every after.” Facial features, clothing, dreadlocks, vultures and the prince riding a zebra convey a generic African setting, but at times, the mixture of patterns and textures obfuscates the scenes. The textile and grain characteristic of the hewn art lacks the elegant romance of Zelinksy’s Caldecott version. Not a first purchase, but useful in comparing renditions to incorporate a multicultural aspect. (Picture book/fairy tale. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-399-24772-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2008
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A visual feast and rhyming text provide read-aloud fun and encouragement for picky eaters.
A little girl and her dragon have different ideas about what’s good to eat in Weaver’s picture book.
Feeding a pet dragon can be quite a challenge, especially if the dragon is prone to fire-breathing—just ask the little girl (who has light-colored skin and blond hair) at the center of this whimsical picture book. Her hungry dragon once “lost complete control,” spat fire, and singed the seat of her pants. “So, now I must be careful and make sure he’s always fed,” she says, “or else I might end up with toasted underwear instead!” But what to fix for a dragon’s lunch? The unnamed girl is sure the dragon’s culinary tastes “are similar to mine,” so she rules out vegetables and casseroles in favor of pizza, a milkshake, and chocolate cake. As the clever, rhyming narrative continues, the proposed dragon menu becomes more outlandish, including frosted tacos, a candy bar sandwich, a chocolate lake, and “mountains made of pancakes.” With a light touch, Weaver wraps this quirky fantasy around a good message for picky eaters; the dragon’s preference for steak and veggies persuades the little girl to give more nutritious foods a try. Soylu’s vivid, idiosyncratic, full-page color illustrations are a delight, complemented by the text layout, which is varied with curves, angles, colors, and quirky lettering.
A visual feast and rhyming text provide read-aloud fun and encouragement for picky eaters.Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781736267363
Page Count: 36
Publisher: A Little Offbeat Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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