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THE POISONED APPLE

A FRACTURED FAIRY TALE

Merry, with a bit of zest.

A cheeky riff on “Snow White.”

A witch loathes a princess. There’s no backstory provided, but “this particular princess was getting a little too sweet for her own good”—whatever that means to this witch—and the witch sets out to create a poisoned apple. But she can only collect enough ingredients to poison a single apple, so her plan has only one shot. The scheme starts out fine—hilariously, the witch just hands the apple directly to the princess, who accepts it without question—but it turns into an innocent apple-relay. Princess, dwarfs, deer, and a squirrel pass the apple along, each to the next, in artless generosity to hungry fellow creatures. When the squirrel scampers up a tree with the apple, the witch, desperate to avoid having “put in all that work for nothing,” climbs up too—and suffers a fall that leads her, via crash-induced amnesia, into the very doom she’d planned for the princess. Above the narrative text, occasional speech bubbles contain pictures that function as the story’s only dialogue, including one swear word (don’t tell!). Everyone seems White; the witch is green-skinned with a stereotypical big nose and moles. The illustrations are clever and offbeat—a fawn rides atop its parent’s back—and highlight hatchings, sharp points (including the witch’s nose), and curves (including the princess’s bodice: Whether by dress design or posture, her back always appears arched).

Merry, with a bit of zest. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-64567-060-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Page Street

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020

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AT THE OLD HAUNTED HOUSE

A good choice to share with wriggly listeners, who will soon be joining in.

A Halloween book that rides on the rhythms of “Over in the Meadow.”

Although Halloween rhyming counting books abound, this stands out, with a text that begs to be read aloud and cartoony digital illustrations that add goofy appeal. A girl and two boys set off on Halloween night to go trick-or-treating. As the children leave the cozy, warm glow of their street, readers see a haunted house on a hill, with gravestones dotting the front yard. Climbing the twisty path to the dark estate takes time, so the story turns to the antics inside the house. “At the old haunted house in a room with no sun / lived a warty green witch and her wee witch one. ‘SPELL!’ cried the witch. ‘POOF!’ cried the one. / And they both practiced spells in the room with no sun.” The actions of the scary creatures within may seem odd, but the rhyme must go on: Cats scratch, goblins dust, monsters stir, and mummies mix. Eventually the three kids reach the front door and are invited in for stew, cake and brew. At first shocked by the gruesome fare, the children recover quickly and get caught up in partying with the slightly spooky but friendly menagerie.

A good choice to share with wriggly listeners, who will soon be joining in. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4778-4769-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Two Lions

Review Posted Online: July 15, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014

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SADIE SPROCKET BUILDS A ROCKET

Inspiring, adventurous fun for aspirational kids.

A little girl’s imaginative plan to become an astronaut and be the first to travel to Mars really takes off.

Together with a crew of stuffed animals (owl, rabbit, and teddy bear), Sadie Sprocket does her research, gathers materials to build her spaceship, and, with support from family and friends—and media coverage—embarks on her historic journey. Rhyming quatrains tell the story of how Sadie patiently reads, cooks, and records important data during the 100-day interplanetary journey. And then: “The Earth behind, so far away, / was now a tiny dot. / Then Sadie cried, ‘There’s planet Mars! / It’s smaller than I thought!’ ” After landing and gathering 20 bags of samples, Sadie and crew are stuck in a red sandstorm while trying to take off again. But with Sadie’s determination and can-do spirit, they blast off, safely returning to Earth with future heroic space-exploration ideas in mind. Spiky cartoons transform a child’s playroom into an outer-space venue, complete with twinkling stars and colorful planets. Sadie presents White while her encouraging fans feature more diversity. An addendum includes brief facts about Mars and a handful of women space scientists. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)

Inspiring, adventurous fun for aspirational kids. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-5420-1803-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Two Lions

Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020

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