This fancy little piece of septet versifying works nicely as a vehicle to tell the story of the graveyard Cinderella. San Souci (Callie Ann and Mistah Bear, p. 1045, etc.) follows the original tale quite closely, substituting things from the bone orchard where appropriate: her coach is a hearse; the prince is named Charnel; her stepfamily is Skreech, Gristlene, and Bony-Jane; and, of course, she herself is a skeleton. Instead of simply losing her slipper at the ball, this Cinderella has her lower tibia snapped off. (Picture the prince traveling everywhere with the foot in a velvet case.) Yes, there are touches of the macabre here (each prospective bride pulls her own foot off to try on Cinderella’s), but never overmuch or to the point of terrifying. And most of it is hysterically funny. San Souci’s verse ultimately takes the show: “Cinderella Skeleton! / The rarest gem the world has seen! / Your gleaming skull and burnished bones, / Your teeth like polished kidney stones, / Your dampish silks and dankish hair, / There’s nothing like you anywhere! / You make each day a Halloween.” What a picture she makes. Catrow’s (The Fungus That Ate My School, p. 474, etc.) artwork is reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas—perhaps that can’t be helped when skeletons are the principals—but very much its own thing, with abundant cartoony comic licks and ghoulish creatures galore. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-202003-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
Can the bustling Rabbit and the laid-back Bear share a house? Wally, a big brown bear, is working in his vegetable garden when he gets a letter from his (wife's) Uncle Rabbit, announcing an imminent visit. Wally and his rabbit wife Mae make haste to clean up. Uncle arrives with two large trunks and lots of ideas about making over Mae and Wally's home. He rearranges the furniture, changes the wallpaper and makes new silk curtains, just for starters. It's too much for Wally, who angrily tells Uncle Rabbit that he hates all the changes. With admirable politeness, Uncle Rabbit says that it's time for him to leave. Wally's attempts to apologize don't change his position; he calls a taxi and departs, but not before offering to return and sort out Wally's garden. "You need a little variety," he declares. Kemper's clever premise is undermined by a vague and unsatisfying ending; Weldin's soft illustrations have more warmth than the story. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7358-2320-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2010
In free verse, Rylant marvels at commonplace occurrences, from the hatching of a baby bird to the nightly emergence of luminescent stars. Her simple words are imbued with a sense of reverence for life in its many manifestations. The mundane mingles with the miraculous as she ponders the mechanical precision of clocks with the same sense of wonder as the beauty of an unfurling, crimson-hued rose. “There is ivy, / there are worms, / there are clocks that keep time. / there’s a moon lighting up a night sky. / and most of all and best of all, / it all never ends, / for the wonderful happens / and happens again.” Rylant’s enumeration of wonderful things culminates with the acknowledgement of the reader’s existence. However, do not look for a lesson in reproduction here. Rylant likens the creation of children to a happening such as rain or snow; weaving it into fabric of life on earth. Former Hallmark art director Dowley’s cozy, folk-style illustrations are a perfect foil for Rylant’s prose. Lushly colored illustrations are surrounded by detailed borders in a country motif while the full-page, full-bleed paintings in the second half depict a merry group of multicultural children enjoying the splendor of the seasons. This gracious tale gently encourages children to savor the wonders of all life surrounding them and to rejoice in that most precious gift of life: themselves. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-689-83177-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
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