A tale that’s light on structure but full of fanciful ideas.
When a witch casts a spell on birds and sea life, it’s up to a young beachgoer to fix the problem in Sanders’ picture book.
At the beach, Dawn notices clouds shaped like sea creatures. A sudden wind sends her into the waves, where she’s rescued by Teensy Weensy Tom, a boy dressed in leaves who flies a magical ship. Together, they discover the Wicked Water Witch has transformed all ocean life—including the jellyfish, guardian of the sea—into clouds, and the birds into sea creatures. The jellyfish wants to cry (by raining) but notes that “when all the rain is gone, there won’t be anymore me.” Dawn and Tom confront the witch, who captures Dawn; the jellyfish then weeps, and realizes it’s the way to break the witch’s spell. Sanders’ soft watercolor-and-ink illustrations are simple and charming—particularly those of sea creatures, although humanoid characters are less polished. As in Sanders’ The Baby Tomato Fairy (2014), there’s plenty of whimsy and magic here. But although the text-dense adventure features a lively hero willing to risk her life for new friends, it offers little in the way of character development or real-world grounding; Dawn never wonders if her parents are worried when she’s out in the storm, for instance.
A tale that’s light on structure but full of fanciful ideas.Pub Date: June 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-389-99383-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Blurb
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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