A stylish young princess, weary of dressing à la mode, yearns for her favorite outfit. In jaunty rhyming couplets, Cuyler describes Bess’s extravagant array of trappings. From the moment she awakens until she retires for the evening, this fashionable young princess has an outfit for every conceivable occasion. Breakfast with the queen requires nothing less than velveteen while lunch with the prince finds Bess resplendent in chintz (pantaloons). The playful rhymes detailing fanciful costumes continue until Bess reveals her attire of choice. Maione’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict a lavishly outfitted tot with a cascade of red curls. Her imaginative confections will satisfy even the most ardent of princess devotees. Comical details, such as the inclusion of Bess’s mischievous pup in every vignette and the princess’s recalcitrant expressions as she is bedecked and beribboned, keep the story from becoming cloying. A good choice for budding princesses both starry-eyed and sassy. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3833-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
An involving tale to help youngsters understand the effects of oil spills by focusing on the travails of a single loon. Drenched in oil, a loon hides in the shallows near a willow tree. Martin (Good Times on Grandfather Mountain, 1992, etc.) introduces a succession of volunteers, diverse in occupation, age, gender, race, and in their reasons for tending birds. Methodically the bird is cleaned and cared for, until it is ready to be restored to the wild. Inspirational in tone, the book will appeal to readers with an interest in environmental matters. Carpenter's finely textured oil paintings expressively convey the practical work of cleaning birds. A fact-filled, helpful ``Note on Bird Rehabilitation'' is included. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-689-80415-6
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Cinderella meets Puss-in-Boots in a tale that takes place against the opulent backdrop of 16th-century Italy. Wealthy Papa Gatto, a cat, hires beautiful Sophia as a nanny for his motherless kittens, but she neglects them and steals a diamond necklace. Papa Gatto next hires Sophia's plain stepsister Beatrice with far better results. After ably sourcing her story, Sanderson (The Enchanted Wood, 1991, etc.) evokes a traditional fairy-tale world, right down to the muted primary colors and lighting techniques of the Renaissance. The tale is well told, in slightly formal language, but the realistic vividness of the paintings steals the show. If there is a flaw, it's that Beatrice is just as pretty as her sister—the word plain would never apply. And if there's little here that readers haven't seen before, it's so remarkably executed that it's well worth seeing again. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-316-77073-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1995
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