A little boy’s room gets an energetic makeover from two Deaf painters. Colin’s bedroom is “very nice,” except for one problem. Its “hideous yellow” walls makes him feel like he’s “sleeping in an egg yolk!” His mom uses a message relay for the Deaf to make an appointment with painters Heather and Molly, who cheerily set to repainting the walls navy blue. At the end of the day, all that’s left to do is paint the white trim, which Molly and Heather do, “paint[ing] and chat[ting] and chat[ting] and paint[ing] furiously.” Of course, they are chatting in American Sign Language, so when Colin and his mom inspect the work, the navy-blue walls are speckled all over with white paint droplets. All’s well that ends well: Colin’s thrilled with the look, and his mom pays “Heather and Molly a heap of dollars for the creative job.” This purposive story has much to recommend it. It folds in details of hearing-Deaf communication naturally, and Crawford’s multimedia collages burst with energy and color. Heather’s hair is spiky and multicolored; Molly wears groovy purple-laced work shoes; Colin’s mom sports fuzzy moose slippers with antlers. But it’s hard to imagine professional painters forgetting themselves to the point of potentially ruining a job—most of their clients will hardly be so forgiving. It’s surely not intended, but this book ends up painting its Deaf characters as rather incompetent—a shame. (ASL picture glossary) (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: April 22, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-897187-88-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The action of this rhymed and humorous tale centers upon a mouse who "took a stroll/through the deep dark wood./A fox saw the mouse/and the mouse looked good." The mouse escapes being eaten by telling the fox that he is on his way to meet his friend the gruffalo (a monster of his imagination), whose favorite food is roasted fox. The fox beats a hasty retreat. Similar escapes are in store for an owl and a snake; both hightail it when they learn the particulars: tusks, claws, terrible jaws, eyes orange, tongue black, purple prickles on its back. When the gruffalo suddenly materializes out of the mouse's head and into the forest, the mouse has to think quick, declaring himself inedible as the "scariest creature in the deep dark wood," and inviting the gruffalo to follow him to witness the effect he has on the other creatures. When the gruffalo hears that the mouse's favorite food is gruffalo crumble, he runs away. It's a fairly innocuous tale, with twists that aren't sharp enough and treachery that has no punch. Scheffler's funny scenes prevent the suspense from culminating; all his creatures, predator and prey, are downright lovable. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: June 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2386-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1999
SEEN & HEARD
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