One of the latest offerings in the On My Own Folklore series for newly independent readers is a Jewish folktale with a traditional structure that features three brothers on a quest to explore the world for ten years, with the challenge of bringing back the most unusual gift. The eldest acquires a crystal ball, the second brother finds a magic carpet and the youngest discovers a pomegranate with special power. Together they use their gifts to help a princess recover from illness, and the youngest wins her hand in marriage. Hall’s imaginative illustrations in jewel tones add to the fairy-tale qualities of the story, and an author’s note, glossary and suggested reading extend the use of the volume. Additional new entries in the series are Anansi and the Box of Stories: A West African Folktale by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Jeni Reeves (978-0-8225-6745-5); The Dragon Emperor: A Chinese Folktale by Wang Ping, illustrations by Tang Ge (978-0-8225-6744-8); and The Tale of La Llorona: A Mexican Folktale by Linda Lowery and Richard Keep, illustrated by Janice Lee Porter (978-0-8225-6743-1). (Early reader/folktale. 6-9)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8225-6746-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: First Avenue/Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2008
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
