Edwards presents another alliterative version of a classic fairy tale. Princess Pigtoria is particularly perturbed by the dilapidated state of her castle. Hoping to improve her lot, she responds to a newspaper ad for a princess to marry Prince Proudfoot. Not overly enthused by her first impression of the Prince, Pigtoria nonetheless follows the parlor maid to the guest apartment. There, a pizza-and-polka party ensues with Percy the pizza–delivery pig and several of the other castle servants as guests. That night, Pigtoria sleeps horribly—victim of the party crumbs on her pillows. And although she did not feel the pea (it slipped out), she is offended when Proudfoot reveals his plan. In the end, both end up with mates, though not with each other. Cole’s watercolor illustrations steal the show with funny details. He cleverly incorporates objects that begin with “p,” providing value-added fun in the form of a seek-and-find game (the portrait of a crowned pork chop labeled “Cousin Pearlene” is priceless). More like Dinorella (1997) than Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke (1995) in its alliterative abundance, the device often takes over the story, making this an extra purchase. (Picture book/fairy tale. 5-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-15625-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, 1998, etc.) slips into a sentimental mode for this latest outing of the boy and his dog, as she sends Mudge and Henry and his parents off on a camping trip. Each character is attended to, each personality sketched in a few brief words: Henry's mother is the camping veteran with outdoor savvy; Henry's father doesn't know a tent stake from a marshmallow fork, but he's got a guitar for campfire entertainment; and the principals are their usual ready-for-fun selves. There are sappy moments, e.g., after an evening of star- gazing, Rylant sends the family off to bed with: ``Everyone slept safe and sound and there were no bears, no scares. Just the clean smell of trees . . . and wonderful green dreams.'' With its nice tempo, the story is as toasty as its campfire and swaddled in Stevenson's trusty artwork. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81175-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998
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