An edition distinguished by: (1) an intelligent introduction by scholar Neil Philip, pointing out the tales' links with Kipling family history and quoting a parody that appeared in Punch when they were first published (a ``Very-Nearly Story'' in which the ```defatigable Ruddikip'' addresses young ``Approximately Invaluable'' in ``decapitated polysyllables''); (2) two stories not included before: ``The Tabu Tale,'' a third story about Taffy (very long, even longer than ``The Cat...'' and the most didactic of all—Taffy learns to be still so that her father can hunt, one result being that it's possible to save her from a wolf), and ``Ham and the Porcupine,'' a why story that takes place on Noah's ark; (3) oversumptuous illustrations. The Just So's admirers will welcome the Taffy story; though it's not up to the others' caliber, the wordplay and parent-child interaction are amusingly characteristic. The briefer, brisker ``Ham'' is more fun; it makes a point of dark Ham becoming ``Emperor of Africa,'' with a typically euphonious string of place names. Brent provides postcard-sized watercolors—pretty but inappropriately static and humorless—that are completely overwhelmed by her elaborate gilded borders, to truly gorgeous decorative effect. Unfortunately, the art illuminates the pages but not the stories (which of course stand well enough on their own). A mixed success, but surely of interest. (Fiction. 4+)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-670-85196-5
Page Count: 158
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1993
What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 2, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-83705-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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