Illustrations as beautiful as Sleeping Beauty herself grace this traditional but sparse retelling of the 100-year enchantment of a princess who comes to be known as “Briar Rose.” The enchantment is broken only when a brave knight has the courage to confidently enter the briar-covered castle, find the princess, and give her the kiss that breaks the spell. The tale is a showcase for K.Y. Craft’s (The Adventures of Tom Thumb, 2001, etc.) elaborate, oil-over-watercolor illustrations. If there is need for yet another telling of this story, the richly detailed paintings brushed with gold are definitely the focal point of this edition. The title page illustration shows a sleeping princess, Aurora, in a circular frame that makes the viewing appear as a look through a telescope back into time. As readers step into the tale, the story unfolds with illuminated letters and full-page illustrations facing each full-page of text. Several scenes are given detailed and glorious double-paged spreads. The final illustration mirrors the circular shape of the first, and brings readers once again to the outside of the story, looking in on a castle in misty cloudlike surroundings. And of course, the princess and her prince live happy and contented lives and their story is remembered even to this day. Simply elegant. (Folklore. 6-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-58717-120-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: SeaStar/North-South
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
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