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THE PRINCESS AND THE PIZZA

The Auch husband-and-wife team (I Was a Third-Grade Spy, 2001, etc.) successfully collaborate on their first picture book, a delightful fairy-tale hodgepodge with a wonderful message about happily-ever-after. In an unexpected career change, Princess Paulina’s father moves the family out of the castle and takes up woodcarving. But Paulina misses the job of princess. So when she hears that Queen Zelda is searching for a true princess to marry her son, she dusts off her tiara and tucks some garlic into her bodice for good luck (along with some sweet-smelling herbs to cover up the stench). The 12 competing princesses must pass several tests, including such time-honored favorites as the pea-under-the-mattress trick and the trying-on of the glass slipper. Finally, only three remain for the cooking test. But by this time, Paulina’s sassy comments have not made her the favorite of the Queen. Her competition leaves her with little in the way of ingredients, and Paulina’s attempts at cooking make only a gloppy mess. In desperation, Paulina stirs the fireplace coals, throws the garlic on the conglomeration for good luck (along with some sweet-smelling herbs to cover up the stench), and begins to plan her escape. But lo and behold, her meal is the favorite, and she inadvertently christens it “pizza.” However, in a move similar to Elizabeth’s in Robert Munsch’s Paper Bag Princess (1988), Paulina decides she doesn’t want to marry Prince Drupert after all, especially if it means having Zelda for a mother-in-law. So she goes back to the village and opens The Pizza Palace, where Zelda and Drupert dine every Thursday. Herman Auch’s brightly colored drawings add humor and detail to the story: Prince Drupert looks the part of royal drip, Queen Zelda fits the stereotype of grouchy mother-in-law, and Paulina’s expressions are especially revealing. With its can-do heroine and its message of “marriage isn’t everything,” this will appeal to everyone—but should definitely be required reading for young girls. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 15, 2002

ISBN: 0-8234-1683-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2002

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A DOG NAMED SAM

A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996

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HOME

Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.

Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”

Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.

Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014

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