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MOLLY LIMBO

Hodges (Comus, p. 135, etc.) draws on various sources of English and Scottish folklore to create this beguiling story of a house haunted by Molly Limbo, wife of a pirate and currently inhabiting a room at the top of the house. To miserly Mr. Means, the house, charmingly depicted in watercolors with borders painted to look like aged paper, is priced right. He doesn't mind living with a ghost he doesn't believe in. He moves in, buries his money, then hires Mrs. Handy, the widow next door, to cook and clean for him. Her first day of work leaves her bone-tired, but makes only a dent in the mess. She can hardly believe her eyes when she arrives the next day to find the house spotless. Apparently another housekeeper has lent a ghostly hand. When she finishes that day, Mrs. Handy sets out a cupcake and milk to thank Molly. Mr. Means soon decides one housekeeper is enough and fires Mrs. Handy; that night, Molly creates disorder in the house, leaving a pertinent note in flour she's scattered on the kitchen floor. Mr. Means takes the message to heart, rehiring Mrs. Handy and soon acquiring genuine affection for her and her children. Masterful handling of intriguing material, accompanied by visuals that recall Arthur Rackham's work; this is an entertaining read bolstered by positive values. (Picture book/folklore. 5-8.)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-689-80581-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1996

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I WISH YOU MORE

Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.

A collection of parental wishes for a child.

It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.

Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: April 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015

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BERRY MAGIC

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

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