adapted by Margaret Mayo & illustrated by Louise Brierley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996
In a short foreword to this volume, subtitled ``Creation and Pourquoi Tales,'' Mayo (Magical Tales from Many Lands, 1993, etc.) offers readers a clear, simple explanation of the importance of such stories in every culture. Her beautiful book, illustrated with Brierley's glowing earth-toned watercolors, puts forth ten tales from cultures as diverse as the Akan-Ashanti of Ghana and the Unalit of Alaska. In ``Tortoise's Big Idea,'' from the Nupe people of Nigeria, the tortoises and a man and a woman give up immortality for the joy of having children (the stones, who have no children, never die). In a Polynesian story, a maiden sacrifices her long hair to harness the sun. Mayo's enthusiasm for her material is clear; the language has the lyrical quality of poetry, reflecting distinct rhythms and speech patterns of the cultures she's depicting. An afterword identifies the sources of these treasures. (Folklore. 5-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80867-4
Page Count: 75
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1996
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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by Joyce Milton & illustrated by Larry Schwinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
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by Joyce Milton ; illustrated by Franco Tempesta
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