This visually attractive treatment of the early Celtic folktale, in which Finn and his crafty wife foil the menacing giant, Cucullin, is musical in its wording and graced with a fine sprinkling of old Irish artifacts. Cucullin has it in for Finn, just as he has it in for every other giant in the land. As Finn and his wife, Oonagh, are wielders of faery magic—and Oonagh is also endowed with an uncommon store of quick wits—they set up a clever and humorous ruse that results in Cucullin losing his golden finger, the source of his ferocious strength, while Finn escapes being beaten into jelly. Byrd retells the tale with verve; his illustrations are elegant and fine-lined, decked with telling details of history and lore that not only spur interest in the proceedings but convey a palpable sense of the Celtic past. A synopsis of the MacCoul legend, source notes, and a pronunciation guide appear at the end of the book. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-525-45971-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1998
Mama God, Papa God ($15.95; Apr. 26; 32 pp.; 1-56656-307-0): The creation story takes a whimsical Caribbean turn in a seamless blend of religion and folk-art set in Haiti. Tired of living in darkness, Papa God creates light, then goes on to make the world as a beautiful gift for Mama God. Together, they design a detailed world filled with brilliance, love, and humor. Highly stylized illustrations rich in primary colors show the progress of creation as animals, birds, water, fish, wind, and rain take their place in the world. This unusual rendition of the creation tale sings to a calypso beat and gives a strikingly different and exuberant interpretation of how the world began. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: April 26, 1999
ISBN: 1-56656-307-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Interlink
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
As little Pancho—dressed as an angel—leads his village's Christmas Eve procession, he hears the cries of a star impaled on an ancient cactus and frees it with his long staff. Years later, after a life of toil enriched with a happiness that dates to this experience, he memorializes it by creating the first pi§ata, in the shape of a star. The story here is unexceptional, but it serves to showcase customs surrounding the pi§ata and the posada; the well-designed illustrations, in the vibrant colors that characterize Mexican art, are decorative and appealing. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 14, 1992
ISBN: 1-56282-277-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1992
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