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LITTLE RED HEN

Name: LITTLE RED HEN
Author: Mary Finch
ISBN: 978-1-84686-575-6

by Mary Finch ; illustrated by Kate Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2013

Though this has its moments, Paul Galdone’s version (with or without story CD) is still the benchmark.

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This serviceable retelling of the classic tale is made different by an added scene of redemption, colorful collage art and a story CD narrated by Debra Messing.

In this adaptation, the little red hen’s lazy companions are the rooster and the mouse. When she finds a grain of wheat, she plants it, waters it, harvests it and so on, requesting help each time. The familiar refrain, “Not I,” repeats throughout. The typeface is playful and bouncy, but unfortunately, it is hard to distinguish commas from periods. Given the minimal story structure, the one misstep in sequence seems confusing: The hen asks for assistance kneading the dough and is then said to be kneading the dough “again,” without, apparently, having kneaded it beforehand. The illustrations, made in collage and paper cuts, have a three-dimensional effect and invite inspection. Indeed, youngsters will need to pore over them to catch the subtle changes in the characters’ expressions: After being refused aid so many times, the hen’s eyelids droop; when denied bread, the rooster’s sagging eyelids communicate his dismay. The story concludes with the lesson learned. The next time the hen finds a grain of wheat, rooster and mouse know what to do.

Though this has its moments, Paul Galdone’s version (with or without story CD) is still the benchmark. (recipe) (Picture book/folk tale. 3-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-84686-575-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Barefoot Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PRINCESS OF THE SPRINGS
adapted by Mary Finch ; illustrated by Martina Peluso

- BOOK REVIEW
THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF
adapted by Mary Finch & illustrated by Roberta Arenson

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LOVE FROM THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015

Safe to creep on by.

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Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.

In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.

Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?
edited by Eric Carle

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BUG?
edited by Eric Carle

- BOOK REVIEW
MY FIRST I SEE YOU
by Eric Carle ; illustrated by Eric Carle

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)