Readers learn a lesson about friendship, self-esteem, and the Italian language in Grant’s noteworthy debut. Set in Tuscany, the story revolves around a crow and a weasel. “This is such a grande job for a piccolo crow,” the weasel says when he sees Crow preparing to plant corn. “But if I help—presto!—the job will be done, and when harvest comes we can split the crop.” Soon, the two sow seeds together. But when it comes time to tend the field, Weasel flakes out. First, he complains of a broken leg. When he adds a sore back to the list of ailments, Crow gets wise. Goodell’s (Zigazak!: A Magical Hannukah Night, 2001, etc.) lush, naturalistic portraiture pictures Crow rushing to save the harvest from the oncoming storm. He collects the crop overnight, but when he wakes up the next morning, only husks are left. Tones of terra cotta brown and buttery yellow warm the double-paged spread as Crow confronts Weasel. “I divided our crop,” explains Weasel, kicking back against a mountain of freshly shucked corn. “And you get the husks!” Infuriated, Crow enlists the services of a snarling wolf. But when they get to Weasel’s den, Crow goes ballistic, driving Weasel away without the wolf’s help, proving once and for all that size doesn’t count when it comes to standing up for yourself. Young readers—especially those small in stature—will appreciate Grant’s positive message about self-reliance and standing up for your rights. Italian words, easily understood in context, appear throughout; a glossary is also included. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-375-80607-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
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