These stories are such fun readers will race through this anthology.
Presenting a delightful cast of animal archetypes from the Far North.
These 26 brief, traditional stories, including fables and pourquoi tales, set in Finland’s forests, describe the comical exploits of cultural-touchstone characters from Nordic folklore: gruff yet good-natured, indulgent, and easily duped Bear and Wolf and lazy, scheming trickster Fox. Other characters, especially wily Hare and riotous Rooster, also stand out. The lighthearted, humorous, and wise tales in this well-written Finnish import are narrated in breezy, conversational tones and include occasional British spellings. Characters are individualized and well realized and have loads of personality; the dialogue-heavy tales are fast-paced and capably convey characters’ quirky temperaments. Many stories reference events that occurred in tales immediately preceding them, so it’s helpful to read them sequentially. The illustrations, created with plant-based watercolors and ink pen, are lovely. The delicate yet lush, textured, detailed artwork captures the naturalistic-looking animal characters. Many illustrations are in full color and appear as full- or double-page spreads; some art appears as spots or insets. The forest setting is amplified with greens and browns; the Nordic climate is reflected in snowy, wintry scenes. Quaint farm buildings and farm tools and equipment lend old-fashioned touches. Themes and plots here are universal; this collection spotlights animals representing people, after all, so readers should recognize familiar human strengths and flaws—and laugh.
These stories are such fun readers will race through this anthology. (Folktales. 5-10)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-78250-744-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This story covers the few days preceding the much-anticipated Midnight Zombie Walk, when Stink and company will take to the...
An all-zombie-all-the-time zombiefest, featuring a bunch of grade-school kids, including protagonist Stink and his happy comrades.
This story covers the few days preceding the much-anticipated Midnight Zombie Walk, when Stink and company will take to the streets in the time-honored stiff-armed, stiff-legged fashion. McDonald signals her intent on page one: “Stink and Webster were playing Attack of the Knitting Needle Zombies when Fred Zombie’s eye fell off and rolled across the floor.” The farce is as broad as the Atlantic, with enough spookiness just below the surface to provide the all-important shivers. Accompanied by Reynolds’ drawings—dozens of scene-setting gems with good, creepy living dead—McDonald shapes chapters around zombie motifs: making zombie costumes, eating zombie fare at school, reading zombie books each other to reach the one-million-minutes-of-reading challenge. When the zombie walk happens, it delivers solid zombie awfulness. McDonald’s feel-good tone is deeply encouraging for readers to get up and do this for themselves because it looks like so much darned fun, while the sub-message—that reading grows “strong hearts and minds,” as well as teeth and bones—is enough of a vital interest to the story line to be taken at face value.Pub Date: March 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5692-8
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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