In a retelling of an Icelandic tale resembling ``Hansel and Gretel,'' a king's children (Sigurd and Ingibjorg) are secretly armed with gifts from their dead mother—a belt that keeps the wearer from hunger, a dagger that cuts through stone—when their wicked stepmother Godrun sets them adrift in a trunk. They land on an island inhabited by Godrun's sister, a blind witch who cages and tries to fatten them to eat; escaping, they trick the witch into falling off a cliff to her doom. Fortuitously, their father turns up to sail them home, where Godrun and her brother are revealed as trolls and turned to stone by the rising sun. With settings of northern seascapes and rocky crags, biomorphic roots, and medieval artifacts, Darke's watercolor illustrations are suitably wild and romanticized; her humans are a bit clumsy, but her witches and trolls are imaginatively rendered and satisfyingly warty. Lively with incident, this provides an interesting contrast to more familiar tales. The title seems to have nothing to do with the story as told here; no source given. (Folklore/Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 1994
ISBN: 0-460-88133-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Collins & Brown/Trafalgar
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
In a delightful sequel to Aliens for Breakfast (1988), tiny Aric, Commander of the Interspace Brigade, again needs Richard's help: The greedy Graxians have hijacked his ship and its supply of XTC-1000 (a commodity that keeps a planet's desserts tasty for 11,976 years); if the Threllians don't get their shipment, they'll attack Earth to try to get its XTC-1000. Arming themselves with a spray can of soy sauce and an eggbeater, the intrepid adventurers set out. Their weapons prove ineffective— but the Graxians faint away when confronted by the celery sticks that Richard (a fan of veggies) has in his pocket. Brisk, imaginatively conceived action, rib-tickling dialogue, and comical—the phenomenal significance of food; Aric's parsimony (he knows how to make them all invisible, but holds back despite their danger: ``The Brigade works on a very tight budget...Every ten minutes of vanishing costs...$183.15'')- -all combine to make this tops in enjoyable sf for beginners. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-679-91056-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991
In a winning sequel to Best Enemies (1989), Priscilla's innate good nature is challenged by beruffled Felicity's snakelike guile in four more episodes. Each time, it's Priscilla's careless trust in her proven enemy that starts the trouble. The lemonade stand is Priscilla's idea, but Felicity steals the show—then greedily raises her prices, so that Priscilla's better product and fairer business practices win after all. When Priscilla confides that if her bike fails inspection her parents have promised her a new one, Felicity makes sure that Priscilla's bike becomes the class Safety Week project—only to reap the humiliation of having her own snazzy bike judged too big, requiring blocks until she grows into it, while Priscilla's finally fails because it is actually too small, as she's been trying to explain to her parents. Broad but not simplistic characterizations: Leverich drops hints that Felicity's family is not all it could be; and Priscilla's niceness is genuine, making her inadvertent victories even more satisfying. Cleverly plotted, easily read, funny—what could be better for an easy chapter book? Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: May 24, 1991
ISBN: 0-688-09440-6
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991
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