Mack and Gran make a joint debut with this whimsical story of an inventive little girl named Penelope who likes to pretend she is a princess. In a repeating refrain set in bright pink type, she announces, “I’m Penelope, and I am a princess!” followed by a comparison of the many similarities between her lifestyle and the lives of the princesses in her fairy tales (thrones, fancy foods, servants, carriages, giving commands, and making demands). Sometimes Penelope seems to be a real little girl in the illustrations, and sometimes she does indeed seem to be a real princess, living in her own palace with her mother and father who are clearly dressed as the king and queen. At first reading, this blurring of reality and fantasy can be a bit confusing (at least to adults), but Gran’s sophisticated watercolors in shades of lavender and pink provide the clue to Penelope’s interior world. The realistic portions of the illustrations have white backgrounds and all the fantasy elements are surrounded with a subtle pink watercolor wash. Once this device is understood, Penelope’s psyche is unlocked, and we see that she is indeed a real child with a rich imagination and a solid background in traditional fairy tales. Gran’s contemporary illustrations have a French flair, incorporating thick black outlines and lots of swirling motifs complimented by a typeface that looks like handwriting. Literal-minded children won’t connect with Penelope, but imaginative princess wannabes will consider her a kindred spirit. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-439-22436-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2003
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
A young boy wonders aloud to a rabbit friend what he will be when he grows up and imagines some outrageous choices. “Puddle stomper,” “bubble gum popper,” “mixing-bowl licker,” “baby-sis soother” are just some of the 24 inspiringly creative vocations Spinelli’s young dreamer envisions in this pithy rhymed account. Aided by Liao’s cleverly integrated full-bleed mixed-media illustrations, which radiate every hue of the rainbow, and dynamic typesetting with words that swoop and dive, the author’s perspective on this adult-inspired question yields some refreshingly child-oriented answers. Given such an irresistible array of options—“So many jobs! / They’re all such fun”—the boy in the end decides, in an exuberant double gatefold, “I’m going to choose… / EVERY ONE!”—a conclusion befitting a generation expected to have more than six careers each. Without parents or peers around to corral this carefree child’s dreams, the possibilities of being whatever one wants appear both limitless and attainable. An inspired take on a timeless question. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-16226-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2010
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