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PATTAN'S PUMPKIN

AN INDIAN FLOOD STORY

A whimsical traditional flood story for comparative-religion shelves.

This flood story is based on a traditional tale told by the Irula people of South India, who, according to the author’s note, view themselves as descendants of the titular Pattan.

Tribal villagers Pattan and his wife, Kanni, live in harmony with nature and the animals, birds, and insects around them. On an “ailing plant” that Pattan rescues and nurtures develops a pumpkin that keeps on growing until “Pattan had to climb on an elephant to see the top of the pumpkin. And still it grew bigger….” When the crashing, lashing rain brings floods, Pattan, with the help of the animals, hollows out the inside of that giant pumpkin and loads into it all the animals, as well as sacks of grain, seeds, and herbs that Kanni has filled. It rains and rains for “many a day and night,” and the enormous pumpkin bobs along until one sunny day, it comes to rest safely on the plains. Author Soundar’s simple text is set in typography that varies from time to time, some words set in boldface type, some words in all uppercase letters, in what seems to be an inconsistent and somewhat unnecessary emphasis. Colorful, authentic-feeling, and vibrant illustrations look similar to traditional Indian folk art and carry the story. Although this accessible story is not religious and stands on its own, it is comparable to flood stories in the Sumerian, Mesopotamian, and Judeo-Christian cultures.

A whimsical traditional flood story for comparative-religion shelves. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-7636-9274-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

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

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IN THE SKY AT NIGHTTIME

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.

A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.

The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Inhabit Media

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019

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