From Publishers Weekly
Garner ( The Owl Service ; Elidor ) retells three unusual folktales with verve--his words take on a magic of their own. In the first tale, a fox outwits a hare and steals her home, singing out a terrifying rhyme to keep other animals at bay. Only a cock with a sickle and a song of her own sets the intruder running. The second tale tells of a girl's search for her brother through a land of speaking ovens, trees, rivers and gastronomic challenges. The final story gleefully romps through the impossible (a needle becomes a steeple, a pumpkin houses an entire town). Imbued with spirit, these uncommon tales jaunt along, ideal for reading aloud. Graceful muted illustrations and playful layouts stress the cumulative elements in the first two stories while celebrating the extraordinary in the third. With their smooth sheen and intricate detail these images extend Garner's vision of the fantastical. A book full of surprises. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-Garner retells three folktales with expressive language perfectly suited for telling or reading aloud. "The Fox, the Hare, and the Cock" and "The Girl and the Geese" are cumulative stories with a traditional European ambiance. Youngsters should enjoy repeating Fox's "'When I clump, ta-ra! When I thump, ta-ra! When I jump, ta-ra-ra! How the fur flies!'" as he tries to scare the other animals away. "Battibeth," which tells of a girl's fantastic search for her mother's carving knife, is offbeat and will appeal to children's sense of the absurd. The selections are short enough to be used with preschoolers and told by beginning storytellers, but they have not been simplified to the point of blandness. It is unfortunate that there are no source notes. The realistic illustrations are crisp, yet they are softly shaded. Messenger uses lush color throughout and pays scrupulous attention to details, down to the nasty face on a jug of sour milk and the gradations of colors of the elegant cockerel. Each page's handsome design and layout draw readers into the book, and the variations in type style and size create visual interest.
Cheri Estes, Dorchester Road Regional Library, Charleston, SCCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
