Above And Below-Hope

When you stand on the shores of a vast body of water, you can never be sure what resides beneath the surface.  Scientists, through research, have given us many answers, but mysteries remain.  More than 180 years ago an author used the ocean as the setting for one of his more widely read fairy tales.  Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid is one of those stories you never forget reading for the first time.  

Highly acclaimed and beloved author illustrator Jerry Pinkney has adapted the story for new generations of readers.  His illustrations are as lush and eloquent as the ocean in all its glory.  The Little Mermaid (Little, Brown and Company, November 3, 2020) written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is remarkable in every aspect.

Far out in the ocean and miles below the surface, two

realms sat divided by sea mountains.

On one side of the mountains evil lurked.  It was the home of the Sea Witch, known for her selfishness and hunger for power.  On the other side of the mountains was the realm of the mighty Sea King.  There he and his four daughters resided.  The daughters were warned to never enter the Sea Witch's domain.

Of the four daughters, Melody, had a magnificent voice and a curious spirit.  She was not content with her expected behaviors.  She told stories about the objects from above, drifting down into their watery world.  Her sisters did not understand her fascination.  One day when Melody's guardian, an elder sea turtle, rose to the surface for air, she followed.

Breaking through the waves, she gasped at the sight of flying fish, whales leaping above the water, and the warm ball in the sky, the sun.  What astonished her the most was a girl walking on 

two sticklike legs

along the sandy beach.  Melody started to sing, and the girl turned to watch her and waved.

Urged back into the sea by her guardian, Melody knew she could not walk upon the sand.  She knew the girl could never come down into the ocean.  At that moment, a sea snake slithered near her and lured her with promises to the forbidden darkness on the other side of the mountains.  There the Sea Witch proposed a bargain.  It terrified Melody, but she sang into the shell offered to her, giving the wicked being her enchanting voice.  Swimming to the surface, she looked around marveling at the sights and drank the Sea Witch's potion.

The girl on the beach, Zion, and Melody spent the entire day together until near dusk.  In response to a question, Melody cleverly explained how she arrived on land.  Zion decided to give her a gift, too.  After a profound comment by Zion, the course of events changed dramatically.  The bonds of friendship once formed cannot be broken by place or time.  Deep within us, a fight for right and light will give us the strength we need.

With each reading of this singular adaption of The Little Mermaid by master storyteller Jerry Pinkney, you'll find the words wrapping around you like swirls of water when you swim.  His choice of words is extraordinary, painting pictures as vivid as his artwork.  Dialogue is a part of the narrative bringing intimacy to many pivotal portions of the tale.  Here is a passage.

As her scales fell away, Melody found it more difficult to swim

as she drifted toward the shore.  At last she felt fine sand against

her skin and winced as a sharp shell cut into her foot.  She was just

starting to stand on wobbly legs when she heard a girl's voice.

"Hello!" said the smiling stranger.  "It's you, isn't it? From out

in the ocean?" The girl reached with a steadying hand.  "I'm Zion.

What's your name?"

Melody tried to answer, but no sound left her lips.  Instead,

she smiled back, shivering as the breeze whipped through the

seaweed clinging to her body.

When you open the dust jacket, the scene shown on the front, right, extends to the flap edges on the right and on the far left of the back.  Over the spine and on the left, Melody's tail bends and moves in the water with the tips of the end breaking the surface in bubbling splashes.  Three seagulls, on the back, fly over wise words from the narrative.

"You should never give up

your voice . . .

for anything."

On the right flap two smaller fish seem to dance near Melody.  The hues of green and blue with the radiant yellow of the sky complement the light in Melody's face and the sparkle of her attire and the water around her.  

On the book case, it's as if we are looking down on the surface of the ocean.  We are looking at the backs of Melody and her guardian, the old sea turtle.  They are swimming in a marbleized array of blues and greens.

On the opening endpapers is a depiction of the Sea King's realm, his castle of coral, lighting the surrounding area of ocean animal and plant life.  With a page turn, on the left mermaids and merman dance in a spin of blue and fish.  Opposite, on the title page, Melody and her guardian swim to the right.  On the closing endpapers are the dedication and information about the book.  The scene is from land looking across the water, waves crashing against the shore as the sun sets.  A lighthouse sits on a cliff on the far-left side.  There are two pairs of elements which signify the friendship of the girls and gifts given.  Already, as readers, we are enveloped in the fine details Jerry Pinkney includes in this beautiful book.

Jerry Pinkney's illustrations rendered 

using pencil and watercolor on Arches cold-pressed paper  

are mesmerizing and opulent.  Each double-page picture takes us deeply into the story.  We become a party of Melody's journey in finding her purpose, and of her family recognizing that purpose. 

To assist in pacing there are four single-page illustrations, although two of them are joined by identical elements.  Perspectives shift flawlessly to accentuate portions of the story.  You can't help but pause to enjoy the illustrations which enriches the text.  This is a tale to savor.

One of my many, many favorite images is that which enhances the portion of text quoted above.  On the left side, the pearly full moon is setting among lingering clouds.  A wash of the ocean moves toward shore as a single seagull watches the two girls on the right.  Melody, not sure of her new legs, is wrapped in Zion's shawl.  On her head is a crown of sea plants.  Seaweed drapes over her body.  In her left hand she holds the doll she found in the ocean.  Zion reaches out to help Melody tucking the fabric around her body.  She is wearing a brightly colored hat and scarf, a striped shirt, denim vest and short skirt.  The two new friends stand on the sandy beach as waves wash around their feet.

The adaptation of The Little Mermaid written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is one of the finest I have ever read.  On a lovely double-page visual, Jerry Pinkney includes an author's note speaking about his motivation for creating this book.  This illustration is a wordless continuation of the story before the closing endpapers.  (Truthfully, I love this picture, too.)  I can't imagine a collection, personal or professional, without a copy of this book.  

To learn more about Jerry Pinkney and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  There is more about Jerry Pinkney in a page at the Norman Rockwell Museum website.  In a guest post at School Library Journal, Jerry Pinkney speaks about this book.  Here is a link to the book launch at Books of Wonder.

Attired In Truth

The splendor of storytelling is one story always leads to another story.  Some part of a tale may trigger a past experience in the mind of the reader or listener.  Another item may light the spark of an entirely new variation on the same narrative.  Each of us are filled with stories, a reflection of our daily circumstances and the customs and cultures in which we live.

Elements from and references to fairy tales, a rock solid foundation, are found throughout other forms of literature.  The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes (Abrams Books for Young Readers, December 26, 2017) written by Ying Chang Compestine with illustrations by David Roberts offers a captivating new look at Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes.  Ingenuity can come at any age.

By now, you have probably heard the old folktale about the emperor's new clothes.  Two sly tailors fool a vain emperor into believing he is wearing magical clothes, when in fact he is parading through town buck naked.  The truth is that the story took place here in China, and without any tricky tailors.

A little boy named Ming Da became emperor at the young age of nine.  His much older ministers, believing him to lack experience, took beautiful silk, rice, gold and gems from the emperor.  The boy, in fact, needed the silk to make clothes for those who had none, rice to feed the hungry and the value of the gold and gems to manage his kingdom.  He wanted to stop this but couldn't think of a way to do so without harming his kingdom and its people.

A New Year's Day tradition of wearing new clothes to ward off evil spirits gave the boy emperor an idea.  He asked his two tailors if they would assist him in defeating his corrupt counselors.  Together the trio devised a remarkable plan.

When Ming Da asked his ministers to view his new clothes he prefaced it with a single statement.  Dishonest people and honest people would see the garbs differently.  One would see resplendent fabric decorated with exquisite handiwork and gems.  Others would see burlap.

Can you imagine the moment when the boy stepped out in the open dressed in a rice sack adored with ink and juice drawings?  The ministers had to say yes when the boy asked if they wanted identical attire as beautiful as his was.  News of the making of magical clothing spread quickly throughout the kingdom.

As the ministers checked on the progress of their apparel, they kept asking about the lack of quality.  The tailors' replies lead each one of them to try to outdress the other.  This was a crucial part of the strategy of the emperor and his tailors.  Their understanding of the ministers' character lead to an outcome best for the members of the kingdom.  Children (and their tailors) have the hearts of heroes.


To this reader Ying Chang Compestine reveals her gift of recognizing what her readers want and need as well as respecting them regardless of their age.  Her narrative introduces us to the characters and brings us into the place and time but the addition of dialogue heightens the humor and growing tension.  Through the selection of word choices the true nature of the ministers, the emperor and his loyal tailors is apparent.  Here is a passage.

When Ming Da stepped out, the ministers stared at the boy emperor, mouths agape.

"Most excellent, don't you think?" Ming Da spread his arms wide.  "Feel the sleeves!"  He shook his arms.

The Trade Minister broke into a cold sweat.  He stroked the rough sack.  "Um, it's softer than the finest silk!"


You'll be hard pressed not to softly utter an "Oh, my goodness" when looking at the opened dust jacket.  One of the first things you will notice here (and throughout the title) is the attention given to detail in keeping with Chinese cultural history.  The dragon's head and partial body peering through the window with Ming Da is a well-known figure in New Year's Day parades.  If you unfold the flap on the right the entire scene continues with the body becoming longer.  From the left flap edge the body weaves across the bottom of the page with the pale sage green crossing the spine and connecting to the front.  Above the dragon's body on the back, to the left, is the structure of the room in which the window is placed.  The same hues of red, yellow and green seen here are used within the body of the book also.

On the book case the interior wordless two-page picture of the New Year's Day parade is shown.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in two shades of the rose red.  They are patterned in dragon scales.  On the title page the emperor's palace spans from page edge to page edge.

Rendered in watercolors, pen, and ink on Arches paper and others in pencil and graph paper these illustrations by David Roberts are playful, gentle and exquisite.  The blend of fine and bold lines provides a superb contrast.  David Roberts is a master of perspective.  You are drawn into his images such as the small child on the large throne, the boy emperor looking out his high window at the children begging in the street or the tailors speaking with the Agriculture Minister during one of his visits to see his new clothing.  In this scene the elaborate architecture supplies a wide frame around the three figures.  It is reflected in nearby water.

The clothing worn by all the characters is appropriate and in keeping with their economic status.  You will find yourself smiling more than once at the expressions on the characters' faces.  And careful readers will be looking at every picture for the tiny white mouse and cricket. 

One of my favorite of many illustrations is on a single page.  Ming Da is secretly listening to his tailors speak with the Trade Minister.  Ming Da is in the foreground.  An ornate panel separates him from the three others.  Light from the other side of the panel casts a shadow in front of Ming Da.  As the young tailor holds up the minister's clothing and speaks, it is clear the minister is angry.  Ming Da has a knowing and hopeful expression on his face.

This title, The Chinese Emperor's New Clothes written by Ying Chang Compestine with illustrations by David Roberts, is a welcome volume in the realm of fairy tales.  Readers will find themselves drawn to the cleverness of the boy emperor and his tailors (especially with what they draw on the clothing).  At the close of the book Ying Chang Compestine in an author's note explains her childhood and the origin of this story.  It is followed by an idea for making Your Own Chinese New Year Parade Robe.  I highly recommend this book for all your collections.

To learn more about Ying Chang Compestine and David Roberts and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names.  David Roberts was a guest at author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.   Ying Chang Compestine maintains an account on Twitter.

One Little Bit Of Green

In tales of fairy there is always magic.  It presents itself in varying degrees.  These signs of enchantment are woven so adeptly into the main narrative, captivating readers; we suspend belief and accept them as truth.  Anything seems possible.

In most of these stories royalty figures prominently.  The personalities of those in power can range from wise and knowing to downright evil.  La Princesa and the Pea (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, September 5, 2017) written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal presents us with a queen going to the extreme to make sure the quintessential bride is found for her son.  Shifting the setting to Peru opens a door into the beauty of another culture and the opportunity for a marvelous twist on the original Hans Christian Andersen story.

There once was a prince who wanted a wife.
But not any nina would do in his life.

His mother was making it difficult and he was lonely.  One day a young woman on her way to her castle asked if she could stay at the prince's palace.  It was love at first sight!  The prince knew he had found his lifelong companion.

The queen scurried to the garden, seeking a pea and scheming of a way to prove the young woman's worth.  She ordered twenty mattresses brought to the guest's bedroom.  They were all shapes and sizes.  The pea was placed on the bottom of the stack.  (While the workers labored this meddling monarch lounged and munched on candy.)

Soon the guest was left in her room.  The prince was all snug in his bed, too.  The queen was confident the girl would fail the test.  The prince was confident she would pass the test.

At breakfast the next morning the guest was not herself from lack of sleep.  (She must be a real princess to feel a pea through twenty mattresses deep.)  An overjoyed prince and his equally happy princess exchanged their wedding vows.  The queen reluctantly contributed to the merry marriage day, none the wiser.  Love finds a way to win.


Readers are attracted to a melody made by rhyming couplets.  When words in another language, Spanish, replace the English text it adds another layer to that melody increasing its richness.  Susan Middleton Elya elevates this classic tale using those two writing techniques.

We are transported to another world full of treasured tradition.  Small changes, and one big one, along with the conversations between the characters make this version one to remember.  Here is a sample passage.

The prince said "Come in," but his mother, la reina, 
decided to test her.  Would this girl be buena?

Mama sneakd away
to the royal jardin
and found a small pea
that was fit for a queen.


One of the first things readers notice when looking at the opened dust jacket (I am working with an F & G.) is the array of colors and patterns on the mattresses and the clothing worn by the princess on the front, to the right.  They will also wonder about the happy look on the face of the princess in contrast to the scowling cat.  To the left, on the back, on a warm brown background with woven patterns from featured textiles, we see a scene from the book when the princess first asks to stay the night at the castle.  As on the front we see a distinction between the expressions on the couple's faces and the grumpy gaze the queen is giving the girl.

Readers will begin to wonder about the presence of guinea pigs beginning on the title page.  Juana Martinez-Neal starts to leave clues relative to the large twist in this variation.  With a page turn a breathtaking double-page picture gives us a panoramic view of golden rolling hills with a river winding through a valley.  Sheep and goats are grazing.  A llama carrying a load of wool stands near the princess on her donkey as she looks into the distance.  The dedication and glossary of thirty-seven Spanish words are placed here.

All of the illustrations rendered with acrylic, colored pencils and graphite on handmade textured paper span across two pages.  The heavier, matte-finished paper for the pages is ideal for the soft shading, delicate lines and intricate details made by Juana Martinez-Neal.  Humor is replete in the looks on the guinea pigs' faces.  Actually you need to look at all the faces of the people.  They tell little stories of their own.  Evidence of the area, Peru, in which this story is set, is seen in the marvelous woven fabrics, the looms, balls of yarn, and wool hanging on lines.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when the queen realizes the princess has passed the test.  This takes place in the kitchen.  To the right three large pans are hanging on the wall.  To the left we zoom in on the queen, grouchy frown on her face.  Her long single eyebrow matches her expression.  Covering her folded arms and shoulders is a hand-woven cape.  The hat she always wears has become a resting place for her cat, who is also looking disgruntled.  Safety pins are attached to the hat in no particular order.  The queen and the cat fill the entire page with a portion bleeding over the gutter.  They look so cranky you can't help but smile and cheer for the lucky bride and groom.


This beautiful variation, La Princesa and the Pea written by Susan Middleton Elya with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, is my favorite version of this story.  These two collaborators have turned this tale into one to be cherished.  You will want to make room on your professional and personal bookshelves for this title.

To learn more about Susan Middleton Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Juana Martinez-Neal also maintains a blog linked to her name.  You can view more images from the title there.  At the publisher's website you can view the title page.

A Trio Triumphs

More than one hundred fifty years ago a fairy tale emerged from a far north country.  It is a story based on need and greed.  The one prompts teamwork to overcome a bully dominated by the other.

Some versions have shown it to be a contest where there are only winners and a loser.  The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Little, Brown and Company, May 9, 2017) written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney asks readers to ponder other possibilities.  It extends the "what if" beyond the story's ending.

A long time ago, on the rocky side of a river, there lived a family of three hungry billy goats Gruff.

There was little if any food on their side of the river but on the other side grass-covered hills rolled from one into another.  They could easily reach this veritable feast by crossing a nearby bridge.  The challenge was the troll who lived beneath the bridge.  He was hungry too...for goats.  (In case you are wondering why they never waded across in the river, danger lurked in the waters.)

As the hungriest of the three goats, the little one dared to cross the bridge first.  A loud voice boomed from beneath the bridge demanding the identity of the one who walked the bridge.  The little billy goat answered as did the troll.  Convinced by the smallest of the trio, the troll allowed him to continue as he waited for a larger meal.

As clever as the first goat, the middle-sized goat assured the troll there was a third goat, a bigger goat, about to fatten himself with the grass on the other side.  The cranky troll waited.  To say he was shocked by the events which followed would be an understatement.

The biggest billy goat Gruff did not walk upon the bridge.  He smashed through the gate causing the troll to screech out his question.  A verbal exchange escalated to a physical encounter with the troublesome troll tumbling off the bridge into the water.  If you think his life was in danger you would be right.  If you think he was never seen again, you might be wrong.


A vision of the setting is created by the words of Jerry Pinkney.   It's easy to understand why those hungry goats wanted to cross the bridge.  It's also easy to see why they waited so long to battle the bully under that bridge.  Pinkney supplies a storytelling rhythm with the repetition of

trip, trap! trip, trap! trip, trap!

It continues with the question asked by the troll and the following conversation with each billy goat; making for an ideal audience participation tale.  A gentle tension is generated by this cadence building toward Pinkney's version of closing events.  Here is a sample passage.

"It's only I," the littlest billy goat squeaked.
"I'm heading up the hillside to make myself fat."

"I'm going to gobble you up!"
declared the troll.

"Oh, no, don't eat me!" cried the littlest goat.
"Wait until the next billy goat crosses.
He's much bigger than me."


When you open the dust jacket the large image spanning the entire space, even a little bit on each of the flaps, you can't help but marvel at the realistic portrayals of the goats, the rich color of their coats, the angles of their legs and hooves, position of their tails and their facial features.  Amid this wondrous display Jerry Pinkney includes the bridge on the right and to the left, on the back, the troll with one of his companion crows, greedily watches.  On the book case the

wild grasses 

thriving on the other side of the river cover the entire space, lush and green.

The story begins and continues on the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first we are shown a panoramic vision of the rocky home of the billy goats, the river, bridge, troll's home and his vantage-view station.  On the second the scene is the identical but entirely different at the same time.  A change in the sky's shades and the light's reflection declares more than the end of the day.  On the title page picture we zoom in on the two sides of the river and the bridge, goats moving across toward the troll, and the title text placed along the bridge.

The art for this book was created using pencil and watercolor on Arches cold-pressed paper, each illustration laid from page edge to page edge across two pages.  At times to supply pacing one image stretches across the gutter for only another half page, leaving space for a smaller, close-up picture. When the first billy goat crosses the bridge we see the view above and below the bridge, goat and troll in his dark abode.  The troll gets bolder with the larger goats, standing on the bridge challenging them.

As the largest of the three billy goats Gruff charges onto the bridge, Mr. Pinkney has fashioned a stunning gatefold.  We as readers are amid the action.  During the following page turns elements break the framing and a large picture is placed over an even larger illustration several times.  Altered perspectives heighten the emotions of the individual moments.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a half-page.  It is of the smallest billy goat Gruff before he crosses the bridge.  He is looking at the BEWARE sign secured at the top of the gate.  You can compare his size easily; feeling his fear and his bravery.


This reader is happier than you can imagine with the retellings of folklore by one of children's literature's finest authors and illustrators.  Each one is a treasured gem.  The Three Billy Goats Gruff written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is perfect.  At the close of the book Jerry Pinkney in an Artist's Note speaks about his interpretation of the tale through his words and art.  It is a must read.

To learn more about this marvelous man and his other work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson highlights this title on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Margaret Kimball talks about the process for the lettering on the dust jacket here.

White As...

Once the words fairy tale are uttered an aura of magic and mystery fills the place.  If others are present, without being aware, they move in closer to the speaker.  Even though the particular story selected may be as familiar as our own faces in the mirror in the morning, we still listen as if we are hearing it for the very first time.

Fairy tales have distinctive goodness in them working to overcome blatant evil.  They are not without supreme difficulties but we know there will be a happily ever after.  Author illustrator Matt Phelan, highly respected for his body of work, especially his graphic novels, brings to readers a haunting rendition of one of the most well-known fairy tales.  Snow White: A Graphic Novel (Candlewick Press, September 13, 2016) written and illustrated by Matt Phelan is remarkable for the brilliance of the artwork, setting and narrative.

The story opens with a beautiful young woman lying in a sleigh in a store-front window.  NYPD crime scene tape ropes off the area.  A police detective asks a crying youth:

What's the story here?
Who is she?

He replies:
White as snow...

By the attire worn by the characters, you know this story is taking place in the not-too-distant past.   With a page turn your curiosity is satisfied with the words

1918
Central Park

A little girl, Samantha White, is playing in the snow as her mother strolls along with her but the happy day turns tragic when the woman begins to cough blood.  She passes away shortly thereafter.  Ten years later, Mr. White reads a newspaper article about a hit performer at the Follies.  He is mesmerized by her performance.

Her new stepmother, the Ziegfeld Queen, has Samantha sent away to boarding school.  Back at home Mr. White seems to have survived the market crash but cannot survive the evil wishes and jealousies of his new wife.  At the reading of Mr. White's will his wife is shocked by an amendment leaving the bulk of the estate to Snow White.

A man is hired to kill Snow White but after chasing her in and through Hooverville, he warns her to never go home again.  This man visits a butcher hoping to convince the stepmother the deed is completed.  Snow White finds her way back to the city only to be nearly attacked by two villains in an alley. She is saved by seven boys who live on the streets.

That night Snow White takes the boys to Macy's department store to show them the winter window display, hoping to help them believe there is beauty everywhere.  This is a mistake.  Another mistake is made the next morning.

In a state of shock, sadness and anger, the seven give chase and watch as fate attempts to balance the scales.  Remembering Snow White's first love shared with them, they proceed, with heavy hearts, to carry out their plan.  A detective gets the surprise of his life.  Seven boys finally believe in the power of snow.


Within eighteen chapters Matt Phelan writes a minimal amount of text, the majority of it dialogue.  This presents pivotal points of the plot in more specific detail but allows for the atmospheric images to carry the story.  One highly ingenious twist on tradition is the use of ticker tape instead of a mirror on the wall.  This is no ordinary machine but one filled with malice printing out truth and suggestions to the wicked Mrs. White.  Here's some of the dialogue during the evening with the seven boys.

You're far from the country now, sister.
The same snow falls here.
Hmmph.
This city is beautiful, too.
It has its own magic.
Come on.
I'll show you.
Ain't you scared?  Someone's after you!
Scared?  Of course not.  I have seven brave protectors.


As soon as you open the matching dust jacket and book case you know this Snow White is going to be different.  The image from the left, the back, carries over the spine.  It's a night silhouette of the city skyline.  In the center of the darkness is a picture of the seven boys with a quote from the book.  In the black of the spine the title text and font are replicated.  The opening and closing endpapers are lighter as you get closer to the body of the book, moving toward dark gray on the outside edges.

After the chapter headings pages, a single picture of the face of Snow White in repose is shown.  We move seamlessly from the story's present, to the past, and moving again to the present. Matt Phelan alters his panel sizes to supply the narrative's pacing.

Rendered in pencil, ink, and watercolor with digital adjustments fairly wide margins of white frame each picture.  The details, specifically those depicting an emotional moment, are intensely real.  You will feel your breath catch at some of his close-up pictures.  Phelan's use of light, dark and shadows is masterful.

One of my many favorite pictures is at the beginning.  It's when the detective is speaking with one of the seven boys.  It is a single page picture of the boy crying.  We have zoomed in to his teary face.  A ball cap is off to the side on his head.  A striped scarf is wound around his neck. His head is slightly down and his eyes are closed as two large tears slide down his face.  He utters the classic phrase.


Snow White: A Graphic Novel written and illustrated by Matt Phelan has been named by School Library Journal as one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels | 2016.  Every time you read it you can understand why it received this designation.  Every time you read it, you discover another detail which enriches the telling.  This book should be on every professional and personal bookshelf.

To learn more about Matt Phelan and his other work you can visit his website and blog by following the links attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can get a peek inside the book; more than forty pages.  At Candlewick Press there is a discussion guide and author's notes about this title.  Be sure to visit Watch. Connect. Read. the blog of John Schumacher, Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, for the book trailer premiere.  It gives you a real sense of the time and place of this version.  There are more teaching ideas for this book at School Library Journal's Inside 'The Classroom Bookshelf'.  This title is discussed with Matt at The Beat Comics Culture and The Comics Alternative for Young Readers.  

She's Big, She's Bad, And She's Back

In the realm of fairy there are villains in need of vanquishing...always. They plague the residents' pursuit of a life filled with peace.  One of the most haunting tales is of children wandering deep into dark woods.  Under the guise of goodness a wicked witch lures them lost and hungry into her home.

The canny canine in The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., September 27, 2012) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat and back again in Ninja Red Riding Hood (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), July 10, 2014) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat was permanently put in place by masterful martial artists, a pig phenom and a gal and her grandmother.  Another member of the family is famished, looking for food.  Hensel And Gretel Ninja Chicks (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, May 24, 2016) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez with illustrations by Dan Santat follows a fiendish fox.  Fearless fowl intend to foil her feast.

Once upon a menacing time
two chicks knew a fox was at large. 
Their Ma had been taken
and Pop was quite shaken
so Hensel and Gretel took charge.

In the village dojo, they learned a new form of martial arts mojo.  Silence, shadows and stealth became their friends as they sought to bring this reign of terror to an end.  Imagine their dismay when they arrived home to find their father had been taken away.  Without a minute to waste, they hiked in great haste; leaving crumbs in their wake.

Feeling great fear and fright, discovering their morsels had vanished from sight, they wandered into the night until they saw a light.  Following the glow up ahead they discovered an abode made entirely of corn bread.  Little did Hensel know as she snacked, she was about to be attacked.  Once inside, she knew the vixen had lied.

In a cage Pop had been stuck and Mama was next to be plucked.  Finding herself behind bars, Hensel thanked her lucky stars for her lock picking skills.  In case you're wondering about good Gretel, knowing her family was in trouble, down the chimney she went on the double.  Mother and daughter combined their survival savvy giving the fox a fight.  Pop and Hensel helped to set things right.  Kiya!


Combining their warrior writing expertise Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez create a story moving and grooving to a rhyming ninjutsu beat.  Elements of the original tale are deftly woven into this fractured version focusing on chickens and the foul fox.  The dialogue blended with the narrative is dynamic creating tension and comedy at the same time.  Here is a sample passage.

She gasped, and then dashed 
to the corner,
where Pop was confined in a crate.
"Watch out!" Papa cried.
"You'll be
chicken-pot-pied!"
She sidestepped,
but it was too late. 


When opening the dust jacket, to the left, on the back, readers see a canvas in the same hue as seen on the title text on the front.  In a diagonal panel the fox is pictured engaged in battle with the two chicks, one kicking outside the lines of the frame.  We read the words

Is that witchy fox ready for kung POW chickens?

On the front the no-nonsense expressions on the faces of the chickens and fox and the body stances on all of them foreshadow the events to come; wok in hand the fox will fight for food and the chickens are determined to do battle to spare everyone's lives.  The opening and closing endpapers feature first the coop-like residence of the chickens sitting in a clearing surrounded by the forest.  At the back, in a more mountainous setting, the fox's house awaits the arrival of some unlucky soul, smoke rising from the chimney.

Rendered throughout with Sumi brush work on rice paper and completed in Adobe Photoshop Dan Santat visually begins the story with a two page image on the dedication, verso and title pages; Pop, Hensel and Gretel, worried and wary, are walking to the gates of their town.  A BEWARE sign, with a fox on it, is hanging on the gate.  Nods to the two previous books are seen on buildings as the trio approach the dojo.  Santat's perspective in these first two large illustrations draws our attention directly to the main characters.

Many of the remaining pictures spread across two pages but Santat places pictures within pictures as the action dictates.  Even his single page pictures flow across the gutter forming a wonderful whole. The color palette reflects the time of day along with the correct emotional atmosphere.  Each scene is vivid and vibrant, especially the fighting segments.  There is so much energy in his images they embrace you. You'll believe you can hear voices and sounds.

One of my favorite illustrations spans two pages.  Within this picture we see the passage of time and the journey Hensel and Gretel take through the forest.  Clothed in their ninja clothing they move with caution through trees, across a bridge near a waterfall, along a mountainous path and carefully approach the light seen through the trees on the right toward the bottom.  The layout and design fashion a feeling of motion.


Hensel And Gretel Ninja Chicks written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez with illustrations by Dan Santat is fairy tale fun full of twists and turns.  When the words are read aloud with these images, your listeners will be ready to assume positions in defense of whatever scoundrel skulks into view.  This is one of my favorite Hansel and Gretel variants.

To learn more about Corey Rosen Schwartz, Rebecca J. Gomez and Dan Santat and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  The trio can be found on Twitter at @CoreyPBNinja @GomezWrites and @dsantat  Enjoy the book trailer.

Celebrate National Tell A Fairy Tale Day 2016

National Tell a Fairy Tale Day is coming Feb 26th! pic.twitter.com/91RyDCT6Ij

— Corey Rosen Schwartz (@CoreyPBNinja) January 26, 2016

For more than a month author Corey Rosen Schwartz has been sending out tweets recommending books, lesson links and activities to get everyone excited about fairy tales.  If you visit her Twitter feed or follow the hashtag #tellafairytaleday you will discover wonderful resources.  As a huge fan of fairy tales myself (My personal bookshelves are filled with fairy tales and their variants), I decided to dedicate this post to all the fairy tale titles I've highlighted here since the beginning of Librarian's Quest. Most of them are picture books but some are middle grade titles.



Cloaked (Harper Teen, February 8, 2011) written by Alex Flinn

Alex Flinn has done it again.  In fact I did a brief booktalk about Cloaked (Harper Teen, February 8, 2011) to a class of eighth grade students prior to completing my review.  Later when I went to grab it to continue writing it had already been checked out.

As she did in Beastly she brings her original contemporary twist to the fairy tale genre.  But this time rather than focusing on one tale she incorporates bits and pieces from The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Frog Prince, The Six Swans, The Golden Bird, The Valiant Tailor, The Salad and The Fisherman and his Wife.  At times she will use quotes from these stories to begin a chapter.






The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School (G. P. Putman's Sons Books for Young Readers, July 7, 2011) written by Laura Murray with illustrations by Mike Lowery

Laura Murray, teacher turned author, has cooked up a completely clever confection for teachers and students alike, The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School (G. P. Putman's Sons Books for Young Readers, July 7, 2011, as her first children's title. Taken from her experiences in the classroom Murray mixes her fanciful flavors giving readers a new twisty treat on the traditional tale.

Using jaunty, rhyming phrases with a beat,

I began in a bowl.
I was not yet myself-
just a list of ingredients pulled from a shelf.
chosen by children who measured and mixed
my smooth, spicy batter while sneaking quick licks...

a classroom of students form their gingerbread man and bake him up just right. Left on a pan to cool, recess time next is the rule, but the animated sweet wants to be with the students too.

Laura Murray built on the success of the first title with companion titles, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck and The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas.

Wolf Won't Bite! (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, March 20, 2012) written and illustrated by Emily Gravett

As far as I can tell the three little pigs and the wolf have been entwined together since 1849 when they were printed on the pages of Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales by James Orchard Halliwell.  He is later given credit by Joseph Jacobs when his version appears in the English Fairy Tales of 1898.  It is this variant with which most readers are familiar.

Each author/illustrator brings their own particular slant to the tale choosing to either remain faithful to the original plot or by creating an entirely different scenario for readers.  Author/illustrator Emily Gravett in Wolf Won't Bite! (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, March 20, 2012) stages a production unlike any other.  Her troupe of trotters has managed to soothe the savage beast, a listless lupine.


The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (Walden Pond Press, May 1, 2012) written by Christopher Healy

Fairy tales have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  After several summers of attending storytelling workshops and classes as part of the National Storytelling Association (now the National Storytelling Network) in Jonesborough, Tennessee, I became fascinated with the variants connected to the cultures from which they came.  And I am not alone.  If I had a dime for every request for a princess story I've had over the duration of my career, I could completely restock the shelves in the library media center.

But even after collecting numerous variations on some of my favorites, nothing could have prepared me for Christopher Healy's The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom (Walden Pond Press, May 1, 2012).  His take on the princes from Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, none of whom are actually named Prince Charming, is offbeat and downright hilarious.  Princes's personalities, fully disclosed, stray considerably from what readers know to be true from the original stories.





Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (Balzar + Bray, September 4, 2012) written and illustrated by Mo Willems

As a collector of stories and the books that house them, over the years it has been interesting to see how one author may interpret a fairy tale or an illustrator may give readers visuals to go with the classic, well-known words.  Of course, different cultures will bring their own individual slant to a story, immersing the reader in a particular language, style of dressing, housing, food and occupations.  Then too, there are those authors and illustrators who fracture the familiar and that's where the fun really begins.

To name a few there are The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka with illustrations by Lane Smith, The Three Pigs written and illustrated by David Wiesner, Little Red Riding Hood--A Newfangled Prairie Tale written and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst, Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale with illustrations by Howard Fine and Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson with illustrations by Kevin O'Malley.  Author/illustrator Mo Willems takes readers down a twisted road with his retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (Balzer + Bray, September 4, 2012).  It would appear these three particular dinosaurs have read the original version.



The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P. Putnam's Sons, September 27, 2012) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat

Yes, I'm talking about the wolf.  Oh, he's shifted shape from time to time; a coyote, a shark, a big-bottomed boar, a wrecking ball, an eagle, a tyrannosaurus and in a real switcheroo, a pig.  To be sure, he's struck terror in many a critter's (truck's) heart.

This time, though, from the get-go, he's met his match.  He's huffed and puffed one too many times.  The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P. Putnam's Sons, September 27, 2012) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat gives this fairy tale a fun, feisty flip.


Goldilocks and Just One Bear (Noisy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, August 14, 2012) written and illustrated by Leigh Hodgkinson

Some of the most beloved stories, those most remembered into adult years, begin with, Once upon a time... and close with happily ever after.  In fact, in my experience, those seven words have an almost universal effect on listeners; people know something out of the ordinary is going to happen in-between.  When Once upon a time is read or said, anticipation grows, listeners lean in or move closer.  At the sound of happily ever after, there is always a collective silent or audible sigh.

Have you ever wondered, though, what happens after happily ever after.  Do The Three Pigs start a construction company specializing in earthship homes?  Does Little Red Riding Hood become an activist for the protection of wolves?  Do Hansel and Gretel open a health food store? Or as in Goldilocks and Just One Bear (Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, August 14, 2012) written and illustrated by Leigh Hodgkinson does what you least expect happen?



Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems (Dial Books for Young Readers, February 7, 2013) written by Marilyn Singer with illustrations by Josee Masse

In the land of fairy tales expect the unexpected.  In the world of poetry anticipate the unanticipated.  When fairy tales and poetry meet anticipate the unexpected; relish the shifts in perspective, giving voice to those previously silent.

In 2010 author Marilyn Singer introduced a new poetic form, the reverso.  In her title Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse (Dutton Children's Books) for the first time we read two poems side by side (the reverso); same words in each but on the left we read from top to bottom, on the right using the same order from bottom to top.  The only alterations were in punctuation and capitalization.  She put a whole refreshing spin on fairy tales we thought we knew.

Last month a companion title, Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems (Dial Books for Young Readers, February 7, 2013), illustrated again by Josee Masse was released.  Twelve folktales accompanied by an introduction and conclusion are altered with Marilyn Singer's special brand of vision.  She leads and we follow...follow.



Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin (Alfred A. Knopf, April 9, 2013) written by Liesl Shurtliff

Stepping into the land of fairy is like closing your eyes and taking a leap of faith.  Traditional, original, tales have a mixture of grimness and happily ever after.  Those stories altered or fractured tend to lean toward the humorous.  Whatever turn they take, in my experience, it's been a journey worth taking.


It's when readers are given a more detailed and elaborate view of characters, a shift in focus, the magic found in those stories heightens.  Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin (Alfred A. Knopf, April 9, 2013) imaginatively written by debut author, Liesl Shurtliff, gives readers in the character of Rump, a person to admire, a story to hold in our hearts long after the final page is turned. The Brothers Grimm should have searched harder; finding this story, a story to be remembered.




Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist (WordSong, an imprint of Highlights, March 1, 2013) written by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich with artwork by Matt Mahurin

What compels people to read fairy tales?  What brings us back to them again and again?  What makes us search out new variations?

 In response to a question Albert Einstein stated If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.  If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.  C. S. Lewis thought sometimes fairy stories say best what needs to be said. One of my favorite phrases, attributed to G. K. Chesterton, though is Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.

No matter the age of the reader or listener, fairy tales fulfill a need deep within for the connection provided by storytelling with beginnings in the oral tradition.  They provide potent possibilities for digging deeper into the personalities of the characters, changing point of view, and expanding or altering the narrative itself.  Authors Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich explore these ideas in Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist (WordSong, an imprint of Highlights, March 1, 2013) with artwork by Matt Mahurin.



The Three Triceratops Tuff (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, April 2, 2013) written and illustrated by Stephen Shaskan

Have you ever noticed how some grazing animals will stick their heads through a fence to eat on the other side, believing it to be better even though the food is exactly the same?  While the phrase "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" may not hold true in most instances, out of necessity animals and people have throughout time moved to better their circumstances or as a means of survival.  The struggle associated with this endeavor has found its way into folklore.

Out of the storytelling tradition in Norway comes a fairy tale of three goats, hoping to eat grass on the other side of a bridge.  The problem is the ugly troll beneath the bridge, who would like nothing better than to have them for dinner.  With a twist and a trip to the past author/illustrator Stephen Shaskan offers readers, The Three Triceratops Tuff (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, April 2, 2013).


The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., April 30, 2013) written and illustrated by Mark Teague

When it comes to folktales, wolves have generally been portrayed as the bad guys.  It seems they have a huge hunger for little girls in red capes, grandmothers, baby goats and pigs.  They've made appearances in fables and fairy tales throughout time and in cultural variants from countries around the world.

Even when the tales are fractured, the premise is pretty cut and dried.  In The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., April 30, 2013) written and illustrated by Mark Teague, readers are given a fresh view of the pigs and...the wolf.  Let's head on over to the barnyard.









Little Red Writing (Chronicle Books, September 24, 2013) written by Joan Holub with illustrations by Melissa Sweet

Before I could read, as soon as I could read and to this day, fairy tales are favorites.  Traditional, variants and fractured, I enjoy them all.  My bookshelves are a testament to this preference.

It's such fun to see the spin authors and illustrators put on traditional tales.  Their inventiveness has never seen an entire cast of pencils though.  Little Red Writing (Chronicle Books, September 24, 2013) written by Joan Holub with illustrations by Melissa Sweet leads readers down the perilous path of authorship fraught with danger where bravery and a noun might save the day.

Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., November 5, 2013) written and illustrated by Jan Brett

To see the downtrodden lifted up, for a moment or for happily ever after, is food for the soul.  We cheer for their good fortune.  To see hope realized is a necessity.

A perennial favorite fairy tale, in all its variations, is of the orphan bullied by spoiled sisters and their haughty mother.  Who better to retell the tale than Jan Brett in Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., November 5, 2013)  Let's open the cover stepping into a wintry Russia of the eighteenth century.




Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., February 6, 2014) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton with illustrations by Nate Wragg

Eventually the prize was delegated to the oldie-but-goodie-not-working-worth-a-hoot pile but the recollection of the contest never fails to bring on a smile.  We had been practicing.  We could hardly wait for the night to arrive.  When the familiar tune started, the dance floor was soon packed with competitive couples.  We added extra steps, moving and grooving to the beat.  Before long we were one of a few couples left twistin' the night away.  When we were announced as the winners, we looked at one another and burst out laughing.

Music has a magic to it; a way of lifting your spirits or aligning with your moods, conveying what words sometimes are unable to say.  When you combine it with the spell cast by folklore, you will find yourself reading Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., February 6, 2014) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Beth Coulton with illustrations by Nate Wragg.  Get out your dancing shoes as the fractured fun unfolds.



Ninja Red Riding Hood (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), July 10, 2014) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat

Some villains simply can't take a hint.  Faced with defeat they retreat only to come back for more.  They cave to their cravings; especially if it involves meat.  One could say they never really learn; or do they?

Such is the case with the wily wolf that faced the proficient porkers in The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., September 27, 2012).  Giving credit where credit is due, he is crafty enough to realize he needs to sharpen his combative skills along with his teeth.  Author Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrator Dan Santat have returned in a collaboration of fractured fairy tale frenzy titled Ninja Red Riding Hood (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), July 10, 2014).  Hold on to your gi.  This Red of the Riding Hood will have you shouting whoopee!



Catch That Cookie! (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, August 14, 2014) written by Hallie Durand with pictures by David Small

When learning a story yourself or teaching storytelling to others, the key is not in recalling it word for word but finding the essence of the narrative.  To me this is what knowing it by heart means.  If the bare bones of the tale are timeless, if it has appeal across cultures to people regardless of their age, it will remain as long as there is memory.

When reading any of the earlier versions of The Gingerbread Man (which as far as I can tell is strictly an American adaptation on the runaway food motif from folklore)  he was made by a little old woman and a little old man who had no children of their own.  Since that time authors and illustrators have delighted readers with their individual interpretations and enhancements on the original.  Catch That Cookie! (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, August 14, 2014) written by Hallie Durand with pictures by David Small is an extraordinarily tasty tale mixing all the necessary ingredients for a recipe readers will remember.




Jack (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), September 16, 2014) written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

One character's name appears over and over in world literature.  Most readers and listeners of nursery rhymes, folktales and fairy tales can name him.  He can jump over a flaming candle stick, pull out a plumb with his thumb, eat no fat, build a house, fetch a pail of water, grow a stalk that reaches into the clouds from a magic bean, paint frost or triumph over giants.

In the eastern mountain regions of the United States his stories are so numerous they warranted their own collection.

Jack, of the Jack Tales, embodies some of the common characteristics of culture hero.  He is the third son---the magic number.  He is the honest, straightforward, guileless one who never suspects the tricks and deceptions of others.  He is the western European hero who lacks all sophistication but is exceptionally clever. 

                                   (Storytelling:  Folklore Sourcebook Norma J. Livo

                                     & Sandra A. Rietz, 1991, page 25)

Leaving home to search for wealth, success or a home of his own is a common theme in the Jack tales.  Master storyteller Tomie dePaola in his most recent title, Jack (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), September 16, 2014) spins his own singular version for our youngest readers.




Hansel & Gretel (A TOON GRAPHIC, October 28, 2014) written by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti

I am a collector of words; not necessarily individual words but words put together in ways meaningful to me.  Collections of quotations hold space on my bookshelves.  In my dining room hangs a chalk board with a favorite saying welcoming guests into my home.

Either spoken or written my most cherished collections of words are stories, especially folklore. These tales were the first I heard and learned to read.  I haunt the 398.2 sections in libraries seeking out new narratives or derivatives on old ones.  One of the most enjoyed units working with students is the presentation and comparison of folktale and fairy tale variants.  It's fascinating to listen to the discussions of their viewpoints and to see them realize how each story is a reflection of the culture from which it comes.

When I learned Neil Gaiman was writing Hansel & Gretel (A TOON GRAPHIC, October 28, 2014) with illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti, I knew I not only had to read it but needed to own a copy.  First I read it quickly; then again more slowly marking specific sentences which wrapped me in the atmosphere of his telling.  I sought out other versions; locating my copies of Best-loved Folktales Of The World (Doubleday & Company, 1982) selected by Joanna Cole, Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm (Puffin, 2012) introduction by Cornelia Funke and Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm: A New English Version (Viking, 2012) by Philip Pullman.  For the third time I read Hansel & Gretel told by Neil Gaiman knowing I was reading pure magic.

Interstellar Cinderella (Chronicle Books, May 5, 2015) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Meg Hunt 

When you take away the magic, fairy tales can mirror the real world.  A parent can disappear from our lives through death or divorce.  They are often replaced with another less than savory person who may or may not have children of their own.  Each day brings tasks to be met as a new normal is being shaped.

Cultural adaptations supply variances but at the heart of every story is a clever protagonist.  Interstellar Cinderella (Chronicle Books, May 5, 2015) written by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Meg Hunt draws our attention to a girl, despite her current circumstances, who maintains her focus.  Her determination and choices provide readers with courage and hope.




Little Red And The Very Hungry Lion (Scholastic) written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith

In my way of thinking you can never have too many fairy tales on your personal or professional book shelves.  At the very least a perusal of your library statistics should indicate you as a frequent visitor and borrower of titles from the folklore section.  On most days you can see me exhibiting my firm support of this particular train of thought in a pendant I wear.

Interpretations, variations and fractured fun on the classics broaden our views on the intent of the original stories and the cultures from which they and others come.  Eleven versions of Little Red Riding Hood appear on my personal shelves; some are more light-hearted than those which adhere to the conclusion of the earliest tales.  On May 7, 2015 Little Red And The Very Hungry Lion (Scholastic) written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith celebrated a book birthday.  To begin the story we journey to the continent of Africa.


Little Red Gliding Hood (Random House, October 27, 2015) written by Tara Lazar with pictures by Troy Cummings

There are still forty-one days until the December solstice but a chill is in the air, trees are nearly bare of leaves and needles, and snow is staying on the mountain tops.  It's a time to gather wood for cozy fires, check furnaces and gas fireplaces, take wool blankets and flannel sheets out of storage, and locate mittens, hats and scarves.  Poles, snow shoes, sleds, snowboards, skis and ice skates move from the back corners of sheds and garages to the front.

We all watch and wait for the snow to fall deeper and deeper.  We all watch and wait for those chilly temperatures to turn our water wonderlands into frozen stages for our skating dances and games.  In the realm of fairy tales and nursery rhymes the residents are as eager as we to shift into another season.  Little Red Gliding Hood (Random House, October 27, 2015) written by Tara Lazar with pictures by Troy Cummings follows a familiar girl among a cast of well-loved characters as she searches for a way to win.


For more fairy tale fun follow this link to a small collection of Little Pig Variants on Popplet.  

Wishing you all a very happy National Tell A Fairy Tale Day!

Icy Encounters

There are still forty-one days until the December solstice but a chill is in the air, trees are nearly bare of leaves and needles, and snow is staying on the mountain tops.  It's a time to gather wood for cozy fires, check furnaces and gas fireplaces, take wool blankets and flannel sheets out of storage, and locate mittens, hats and scarves.  Poles, snow shoes, sleds, snowboards, skis and ice skates move from the back corners of sheds and garages to the front.

We all watch and wait for the snow to fall deeper and deeper.  We all watch and wait for those chilly temperatures to turn our water wonderlands into frozen stages for our skating dances and games.  In the realm of fairy tales and nursery rhymes the residents are as eager as we to shift into another season.  Little Red Gliding Hood (Random House, October 27, 2015) written by Tara Lazar with pictures by Troy Cummings follows a familiar girl among a cast of well-loved characters as she searches for a way to win.

It was winter, and the river winding through the enchanted forest was frozen solid.  A girl raced down to the river's edge and laced up her skates.

As she moves with the same grace as swallows on currents of air, we can easily see why the people have named her Little Red Gliding Hood.  She looks at her skates wondering how she will continue going to her Grandma's house every Sunday.  They are falling apart at the seams and too small.  Up ahead a group has gathered around a proclamation banner.

It's an announcement for a skating competition.  The winner will receive a pair of new skates. Little Red has to win.  Little Red knows she can win.  Little Red needs a partner but everyone already has someone or they have more excuses than Jack has frost.

Flying as fast as her feet will go to avoid the Big Bad Wolf Little Red arrives at her grandmother's cottage.  Her suggestions of the Gingerbread Man and Baby Bear won't work; too fast and Goldilocks snagged the little cub first.  As luck would have it, The Three Little Pigs were Grandma's new neighbors.

Someone was not too happy to hear Little Red utter

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me in!"

Someone started skating with purpose in pursuit.  Little Red raced across the ice but her skates could not take the strain.  One left her foot as she toppled toward the ice.  With outstretched arms the wolf, the big bad one, caught her.

Displaying all the gallantry of Prince Charming, this waltzing wizard on ice pays Little Red a compliment.  What?!  This is beyond her comprehension and her knowledge of this cunning creature.  It does give her an idea though.  This idea grows until it becomes a plan; a plan which turns into a day everyone in attendance will remember, especially the couple wearing new skates skimming along the frozen river into the sunset.


The four sentence introduction to the title page is our prelude to the skillful use of rhyme, repetition and alliteration by author Tara Lazar.  With her words our world fades away; replaced by the enchanted forest.  With ease the persons and animated items from classic children's literature find a new home in her spin on this timeless tale.  Here are a couple of sample sentences.

Little Red's skates were worn-in and worn-out, no longer snow white, and a little too tight.
She frowned at the creases and crumples.

Old MacDonald slipped and fell.
E-I-E-I-ouch!


When you first see Little Red gliding in her hood on the ice you know she's in her element.  This gal loves to skate.  You also believe she's oblivious to trouble lurking in the woods along the river.  To the left, on the back and behind her, are folk from nursery rhymes and fairy tales, The Three Blind Mice, Humpty Dumpty, one of The Three Little Pigs, The Queen of Hearts and one of the Seven Dwarfs.  They are wearing winter attire and a variety of expressions.

On the opening and closing endpapers Troy Cummings has placed snowy evergreens and snowflakes in a pattern of blues and diamonds.  The following double-page spread gives readers an overview of the enchanted forest with the river winding around a gingerbread house, castles, The Three Bears, Little Bo-Peep and her sheep, a beanstalk rising into the clouds, a golden braid of hair draped down the side of a tower, and other icons we know.  This takes us to the close-up of Little Red, cape billowing out behind her holding the title text, on the second double-page image.

Cool hues with an array of vivid shades color the illustrations in all shapes and sizes throughout this title. Cummings may zoom-in to perfect a point in the narrative or give us a larger perspective to increase our understanding of Little Red's world.  He crosses the gutter flawlessly with the river or inside Grandma's cozy abode.  We pause to look at the details he cleverly includes.

One of my favorite pictures is of the skating competition.  The crowd of characters on the ice is brightly portrayed.  On the outside the spectators are outlined in blue and shaded in pastels.  It works very well drawing our eyes first to the inside where we see oodles of charming friends from books we love. When a boy cries

WOLF!

he surrounds that word in pink.  The wolf looks quite debonair in his clothing.


Little Red Gliding Hood written by Tara Lazar with pictures by Troy Cummings is fractured fairy tale fun during any season but it's absolutely perfect for the winter months.  As the words are read or heard heads will nod knowingly when they hear familiar names.  You will want to have all those other rhymes and tales ready so readers can enjoy them and this title again and again.  You might want to do a comparison with Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion and Ninja Red Riding Hood.

To learn more about Tara Lazar and Troy Cummings and their work please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Tara Lazar has several blog posts dedicated to this title.  The link is here.  At the publisher's website you can view the endpapers, introduction and title pages.  Little Red is interviewed at The Little Crooked Cottage.