Artell and Harris (The Three Little Cajun Pigs, 2003, etc.) once again attempt a Cajun twist on a familiar folktale, beginning as usual with a glossary of Cajun words and their pronunciations along with guidelines for reading the story aloud. The advice is necessary because the entire text is rendered in a highly formulaic though somewhat inconsistent representation of Cajun dialect. The author updates and truncates the original English fairy tale; in this version, Jacques only makes a single trip to the giant’s castle, and he rescues the hen who lays the golden eggs out of compassion rather than avarice. While the story is entertaining, copious use of dialect and substituting Cajun names and foods does not “A Cajun Tale” make. The watercolor illustrations, while detailed and dynamic in their execution, are frustratingly vague and generic, failing to evoke the Cajun milieu. Try Feliciana Feydra LeRoux, by Tynia Thomassie (1995), or Chicken Joy on Redbean Road, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (2007), instead. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8037-2816-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Joey King is as ready as any kid on the block to get to class and learn to read; in fact, that's the main reason he's willing to attend school. Everything points to a good year: nice teacher, new backpack, an older brother to take him back and forth. Of course, there are problems, too, when a substitute takes over and when Ronald, a large boy repeating first grade, bullies Joey with royal variations on his last name. Meanwhile, the generally ebullient narrative is interrupted five times by clumsily realistic drawings of stiffly posed figures—so few illustrations as to seem almost pointless, and readers who are sufficiently proficient may be too old to find the triumphs of a first grader interesting. Still, a pleasant tale, with small, well-realized aspirations. As for Joey—he's an indomitable little guy whose enthusiasms and fears are totally on the mark. (Fiction. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 23, 1992
ISBN: 0-395-58583-X
Page Count: 116
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A Russian tale retold by a popular picture-book author (Mushroom in the Rain; Two Greedy Bears). Hoping to provide for his hungry family, a penniless king throws himself on the mercy of Sun, Moon, and Raven: If the Sun will warm him, if the Moon will give him light, and if the Raven will help him gather grain, he'll let them marry his three daughters. When the king goes to visit the happy couples, he comes home boasting of tricks learned from his sons-in-law—e.g., cooking an omelette on his head, like the Sun. Watching raw egg trickle down her husband's neck, his long-suffering wife remarks, ``I married a fool'' and cooks hers on the stove. After three such failures, he groans ``Never again'' and resolves to live by his own wits. Hillenbrand's illustrations for this comical head shaker employ royally rich colors and patterns, whimsical, skewed shapes, and wisps of line that deftly characterize the winsome daughters, put-upon queen, and feckless king. No source given. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-02-736242-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1994
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
