This Germanic Cinderella is simple, direct and rather sweet.
First published in German in 2011 as Aschenputtel, this is a gentle(ish) version of the oft-told tale, with illustrations evocative of the 18th century.
A dying mother tells her daughter that she will look down from heaven upon her, and every day the girl goes to her mother’s grave to weep. Her stepfather remarries, and his new wife’s two daughters scorn the girl and force her to be their servant. When the invitation for the prince’s ball arrives, the stepmother first sets Cinderella an impossible task that friendly birds help her to accomplish. Still denied the ball, Cinderella, weeping, recites a rhyme on her mother’s grave, and a white bird drops down a silver and gold ball gown and silk slippers, one of which she leaves behind in haste and which the prince picks up, triggering the classic search. The first stepsister cannot get her foot in it at all, and the second cuts off a piece of her heel to make it fit. Of course it is Cinderella whom the slipper fits, and “they were happy ever after.” This version neither marries the stepsisters to local nobles nor sends birds to peck out their eyes. The pictures, even to the ship-in-full-sail hairdo on one stepsister, are based on 18th-century patterns and styles, and Cinderella’s dress has a satisfying quantity of gold floral glitter.
This Germanic Cinderella is simple, direct and rather sweet. (Picture book/fairy tale. 5-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-86315-948-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
When work was begun on the Lincoln Memorial in 1914, no one could have imagined the history that would later unfold at the site. Slade uses the Memorial to create a brief series of snapshots of African-American history, beginning with the background that connects Abraham Lincoln to African-Americans. She moves on to Marian Anderson's legendary performance and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington and culminates with the inauguration of Barack Obama. Each moment is narrated in the present tense, providing sensory details to evoke atmosphere and just enough background to create meaning for the audience. Bootman’s illustrations clearly portray the emotions—fear, determination, joy—of the people present at each moment. The final two-page spread of the First Family viewing the Memorial is especially moving. Readers will find in this introduction a good overview and a solid base on which to continue building their knowledge of not only African-American history but the history of the United States. Thumbnail biographies of other changemakers and a timeline follow the text. (Informational picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1204-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still hoping to find an occasion to be a superhero, Freddie Ramos finds it hard to keep the superspeed he gets from his shoes a secret in daily life. Mr. Vaslov, their inventor, gives him a wristband he hopes will control them, but instead of slowing down his shoes, it gives him a super spring. This sequel to Freddie Ramos Takes Off (2009) presumes knowledge of that title. There’s the barest minimum of explanation of the shoes or introduction of the characters. On the other hand, there’s plenty of action as Freddie twice rescues his neighbor’s ball, makes excuses to avoid running so his shoes won’t smoke and gets stuck in a tree before performing a heroic rescue. Freddie’s Hispanic heritage shows in descriptions of food and references to his deceased abuela, both worked in naturally. Cartoon art by Benítez accompanies the large-font text; the book looks accessible, although sentences do extend across page breaks. Boys who are able early readers will particularly appreciate this series; a third title is already on the way. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8075-9481-0
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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