Mr. Minnikin, the candlemaker, allowed a mouse, a dog, a cat, a pig, a squirrel and a gull to live in the shed behind his house. The old man was gruff and off, but the six animals knew he would enjoy a birthday party. In order to obtain a candle each to go on his surprise birthday cake, they offer to tell him a story a night. The stories have to be in verse and the "animal decameron" begins with the gull — "Once upon a long and winter wave/And me so done I would have shaved a stone for food". Each animal speaks out in a different form of verse that emphasizes the sense of character established for him in the prose portions. The at, whose every remark is a light spray of supercilious malice, tells her story and leaves the impression of a latter-day Mehitabel. The mouse tells of an adventure that was both brave and sly, and the dog has a marvelously funny incident re-ited deadpan. As the cat remarks "Not very pure poetry, but entertaining," and considerably above much that is being done for children. The author's way with words was established in Macaroon and this will enhance her deserved reputation for excellence, just as the illustrator's superbly decorative work here enhances ers.
Pub Date: Feb. 19, 1964
ISBN: 0394809955
Page Count: -
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1964
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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
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