THE CLEVER TAILOR

Name: THE CLEVER TAILOR
Author: Srividhya Venkat
ISBN: 978-81-9338-890-7

by Srividhya Venkat ; illustrated by Nayantara Surendranath ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019

This beautifully illustrated, rhythmic tale unfortunately reinforces stereotypes about gender, religion, and language....

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A tailor fulfills his dream of stitching something for his family in this Indian import that adapts a familiar Yiddish tale.

When poor but talented tailor Rupa Ram goes to a wedding, he is given the gift of a saafa, a colorful headpiece made of fine cloth. Rupa Ram wears the saafa until it wears out—but instead of throwing it away, he salvages what is left to make an odhni (scarf) for his wife. When she wears it out, he uses scraps to make a kurta (shirt) for his son, and, with his son’s scraps, a gudiya (doll) for his daughter. At last the tailor is left with the most precious thing of all: a kahaani, or story, which will never wear out. Surendranath’s vibrant illustrations burst with life and color, and such details as the school where Rupa Ram’s wife teaches add welcome dimension to the story’s characters. Venkat’s text is rhythmic, simple, and cleverly repetitive, but ultimately, the stereotypes it reinforces detract from its charm. Leaving the daughter with only scraps is a cycle that reflects deeply entrenched gender hierarchies. Additionally, the glossary in this U.S. edition erases India’s diversity by referring to a saafa as a “garment worn by Indian men at weddings,” implying that all Indian weddings are Hindu and that all cultures in India practice this regional tradition. The tale’s source is given only as “a European folktale.”

This beautifully illustrated, rhythmic tale unfortunately reinforces stereotypes about gender, religion, and language. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019

ISBN: 978-81-9338-890-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Karadi Tales

Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
GIRLS ON WHEELS
by Srividhya Venkat ; illustrated by Kate Wadsworth

- BOOK REVIEW
DANCING IN THATHA'S FOOTSTEPS
by Srividhya Venkat ; illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

A nice but not requisite purchase.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE MERMAID
adapted by Hannah Eliot ; illustrated by Nivea Ortiz

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

- BOOK REVIEW
RAPUNZEL
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

- BOOK REVIEW
RAPUNZEL
by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

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THE GRUFFALO

by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Axel Scheffler ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1999

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The action of this rhymed and humorous tale centers upon a mouse who "took a stroll/through the deep dark wood./A fox saw the mouse/and the mouse looked good." The mouse escapes being eaten by telling the fox that he is on his way to meet his friend the gruffalo (a monster of his imagination), whose favorite food is roasted fox. The fox beats a hasty retreat. Similar escapes are in store for an owl and a snake; both hightail it when they learn the particulars: tusks, claws, terrible jaws, eyes orange, tongue black, purple prickles on its back. When the gruffalo suddenly materializes out of the mouse's head and into the forest, the mouse has to think quick, declaring himself inedible as the "scariest creature in the deep dark wood," and inviting the gruffalo to follow him to witness the effect he has on the other creatures. When the gruffalo hears that the mouse's favorite food is gruffalo crumble, he runs away. It's a fairly innocuous tale, with twists that aren't sharp enough and treachery that has no punch. Scheffler's funny scenes prevent the suspense from culminating; all his creatures, predator and prey, are downright lovable. (Picture book. 3-6)