In this incident-packed but mindless retelling of an Arthurian romance, Sir Yvain sets out in search of adventure and glory, achieving true manhood only after a series of trials. Easily overcoming the formidable Black Knight and marrying the defeated man's widow, Yvain then neglects his lady while indulging in revelry with the other knights; he cannot return to her until—unraveling a riddle—he saves in turn a lion from a dragon, a damsel from a tower, and 30 maidens from an ogre. Obviously these deeds are more worthy than Yvain's earlier feat—he spills the water of life and renders the land dry and lifeless, simply for the glory of beating his fellows to battle with the Black Knight who protects the fountain. But the uniformly hollow tone of Yvain's first-person telling suggests no growth in sensitivity, and in summarizing the action McDermott shows no evidence of a point of view himself. (Arthur comes on like Tom Sawyer, roaring "This is a marvelous adventure which we will all undertake" as he leads his men to pointless battle.) Probably McDermott's approach is best reflected in his grainy black-and-white illustrations, which are flamboyantly melodramatic (one lightning-lit pose is pure Superman)—but even at that level the writing falls short.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1979
ISBN: 0027656004
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Four Winds/MacMillan
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1979
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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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