On his deathbed, the wise old king decrees that his arrogant son will not inherit the crown until he marries "a woman who is your equal in beauty and intelligence and wealth." Angry, and misunderstanding this "blessing," Prince Raphael sets about impoverishing his people and rejecting a procession of princesses who may excel in one quality, but never in three. In the meantime, Rosamund, a shepherd lass, shares the last of her grain with a hungry (but gentle) wolf; magically, his presence replenishes the grain and he recognizes her as queen-to-be. He sends her to the palace, where her wisdom and compassion charm Raphael. Still, he must now prove himself to her: leaving Rosamund to put his kingdom to rights, he repairs to her hut, where the animals help him learn cooperation, competence, and humility. There's a lesson here, of course, but Paterson (unlike many who use folkloric motifs to project contemporary messages) shapes her tale with such grace, narrative skill, and good humor that the lesson is a pleasure. Vagin, a Russian introduced with Here Comes the Cat! (1989), offers sumptuous, elegantly detailed illustrations of the court, bordered in serene pastoral landscapes, in more muted colors, which also adorn chapter heads. A handsome book; an entertaining, thought-provoking story. (Fiction/Young reader. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1992
ISBN: 0-06-022496-7
Page Count: 64
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1992
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...
The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.
Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”
Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-59643-750-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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