A delicious mashup of fairy tales and food.
In this fractured fairy tale, Compestine imagines the origins of a famous dish.
Ra Pu Zel is an assertive, independent Chinese princess who loves to cook. She’s constantly scolded for failing to be a proper lady until one day she’s finally had enough and locks herself in her tower; using her long braid, she pulls up baskets of food from her mother. As she cultivates her hobbies, the delicious smells and lovely music that float out into the kingdom attract suitors from near and far. The emperor decrees that the first person who can draw the princess out of the tower will receive his marriage blessing. It isn’t until a young chef arrives, pushing a cart that emits a horrible stench, that Pu Zel is finally lured out. The chef’s stinky tofu—a delicacy in his hometown—wins her heart, and the dish goes on to become one of the most renowned in China. Kung’s digital artwork is reminiscent of Chinese watercolor paintings, though with a modern sensibility and cinematic eye. The colorful, expressively detailed depictions of the princess’ attempts to conform to expectations are a hoot, and her joy in being her best self in her tower is palpable. In the backmatter, Compestine explains that this story is “strictly from my own imagination” and includes a recipe for (non-stinky) tofu.
A delicious mashup of fairy tales and food. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593533055
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Utterly entrancing.
Fever dream meets modern fable in a kaleidoscopic numerological adventure.
Home sick with a fever, pale-skinned George is surprised when a mouse with something tiny (a bean?) in its mouth skitters across the kitchen floor. Mama captures the “little intruder,” and George puts it in an empty tank in his bedroom. By bedtime, poor George’s fever has risen to 102. “At precisely 1:02 A.M.,” a cricket wakes George, shrinks him to her size, and leads tiny George to meet a mother mouse. She explains that Father went to fetch the final ingredient for a 102-bean soup meant to heal their ailing little one, “but he’s not returned.” George retraces his steps and, regrown, apologizes to and releases Father. Waking at (you guessed it) 1:02 P.M. to 102-bean soup of his own, George recovers. “Perhaps you are asking, ‘Was it all a dream?’ ‘Was it all real?’” George, now 102 years old, holds both mementos and answers. Eccentric details drive this visual stunner, its scratchy, rainbow-hued spreads inked with 16 “multicolored (and multiscented) ballpoint pen[s]....used to completion.” Cordell’s exceptionally precise depictions of surreal imagery—a spider beaming over her 102 babies, the tiny protagonist fleeing a menacing owl—pairs with plainspoken text for a quirky, off-kilter adventure that’s somehow all the more enticing for its oddness. With strong nods to classics like Gulliver’s Travels and The Borrowers, this strange quest will captivate young readers.
Utterly entrancing. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9780316580953
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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