All’s well that ends well in this fractured tale of a boy who knows a thing or two about self-determination.
As the title indicates, this is not “Jack and the Beanstalk,” at least not quite as you know it.
A narrator attempts to tell the traditional tale, but Jack is very much in the leading role. In his dismay over his dismal situation, Jack can’t keep his comments to himself. He directly appeals to the storyteller, questioning and challenging every lousy turn of events. “But Bessie’s my best friend!” Jack protests when forced to sell his cow. In disbelief over the trade he’s supposed to make, he exclaims: “Five beans? That stinks!” And when the text relates that he throws them out the window, he objects: “But I’m SO hungry! Can’t I eat one?” Youngsters will readily respond to this playful if sophisticated perspective wherein Jack repeatedly breaks the wall to address the storyteller. The giggles increase as Jack’s remarks provoke responses from the narrator. Gradually, Jack starts talking to the other characters in the book until he effectively shuts out the narrator and grabs control of the action. The characters’ commentary appears in color-coded speech bubbles: Jack's in green, the giant's in ochre, Cindy's (Cinderella) in pink. In fact, children will find a host of fairy-land denizens. Cartoon-style art in garish colors and characters drawn with comically off-kilter features emphasize the absurdity of the story. The primary cast is all white.
All’s well that ends well in this fractured tale of a boy who knows a thing or two about self-determination. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5420-4565-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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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