From the creator of endearing guinea pigs comes the second sweet book about mice heroines and cockroach villains. Employing the same story-within-a-story format readers will recognize from Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One (1992), Aunt Isabel spins a naptime yarn for Penelope; every time Aunt Isabel seems ready to come to a close, Penelope says, ``BUT,'' thereby forcing the tale in a new direction. The fairy-tale takeoff stars Lady Nell, a penniless princess who tries to reach her prince's castle in time for his birthday, stopping only to thwart a band of marauding cockroaches. The technique of constant interruption on the part of Penelope may mimic child listeners, but is not as effective as the device used in the first book, which threaded whats, whens, and whys into an already well-told story. Jaunty watercolor illustrations are replete with detail, from the matchbox mouse furnishings and pierced ears to the hidden thieves. The chatty style is lighthearted and the plot full of good-humored twists and turns, even if the pace occasionally lags. Children will anticipate the satisfying outcome and surely applaud the mouse heroine who chews bubble gum and hurls a mean cherry drop. Mice and princesses are a tried-and-true winning combination, and readers of the first book as well as fans of Angelina Ballerina will not be disappointed. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-525-45496-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996
Pedestrian.
Mr. Brown can’t help with farm chores because his shoes are missing—a common occurrence in his household and likely in many readers’ as well.
Children will be delighted that the titular Mr. Brown is in fact a child. After Mr. Brown looks in his closet and sorts through his other family members’ shoes with no luck, his father and his siblings help him search the farm. Eventually—after colorful pages that enable readers to spot footwear hiding—the family gives up on their hunt, and Mr. Brown asks to be carried around for the chores. He rides on his father’s shoulders as Papa gets his work done, as seen on a double-page spread of vignettes. The resolution is more of a lesson for the adult readers than for children, a saccharine moment where father and son express their joy that the missing shoes gave them the opportunity for togetherness—with advice for other parents to appreciate those fleeting moments themselves. Though the art is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the setting, it occasionally is misaligned with the text (for example, the text states that Mr. Brown is wearing his favorite green shirt while the illustration is of a shirt with wide stripes of white and teal blue, which could confuse readers at the point where they’re trying to figure out which family member is Mr. Brown). The family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pedestrian. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0389-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
In the siblings' latest adventure, their grandmother is having a birthday (again! see Bunny Cakes, p. 67), so Ruby takes Max shopping. A music box with skating ballerinas is Ruby's idea of the perfect present; Max favors a set of plastic vampire teeth. Ruby's $15 goes fast, and somehow, most of it is spent on Max. The music box of Ruby's dreams costs $100, so she settles for musical earrings instead. There isn't even a dollar left for the bus, so Max digs out his lucky quarter and phones Grandma, who drives them home—happily wearing her new earrings and vampire teeth. As ever, Wells's sympathies are with the underdog: Max, in one-word sentences, out-maneuvers his officious sister once again. Most six- year-olds will be able to do the mental subtraction necessary to keep track of Ruby's money, and Wells helps by illustrating the wallet and its dwindling contents at the bottom of each page where a transaction occurs. Younger children may need to follow the author's suggestion and have an adult photocopy the ``bunny money'' on the endpapers, so they can count it out. Either way, the book is a great adjunct to primary-grade math lessons. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8037-2146-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1997
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