Children's Book Reviews
Page One of TwoFrom Head to Toe by Eric Carle
HarperFestival, 1999.Board Book, 32 pages
ISBN 0694013013.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Worried that your children will become part of our nation's
statistics that show most children are couch or mouse potatoes and
don't get enough exercise? Let them see that movement is
fun with Eric Carle's charming board book. Using his
trademark colorful collages on a white background,
Carle portrays a series of animals
performing a movement, then asking the child if he/she can do
it. The child responds, "I can do it!" The buffalo says,
"I am a buffalo and I move my shoulders. Can you do it?
The seal says, "I am a seal and I clap my hands. Can you
do it?" and so on with the elephant (who stomps his feet),
the camel (who bends his knees) and many others.
This is a wonderful tool for showing children basic movements,
working on coordination, and having fun at the same time.
The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine
HarperCollins, 1999.Hardcover, 91 pages
ISBN: 006028062X.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
In the village of Snettering-on-Snoakes, in the Kingdom
of Biddle, lovely Lorelei is somewhat of a trial to her
parents: she is allergic to just about everything and
is always either sick or injured from the most minor
causes. But her parents love her dearly. After her mother dies,
her father the blacksmith hires a servant to look after
Lorelei. While hanging up some laundry, Lorelei sheds a tear
thinking of her dear mother. Prince Nicholas, riding by,
is enchanted with Lorelei and they talk a bit.
After some misadventures, Lorelei ends up at the
palace smack in the middle of the testing process to find
a new bride for Prince Nicholas. At Nicholas' request, Lorelei
pretends to be one of the princesses, and submits to the myriad
tests to find a suitably picky and sensitive princess. Lorelei
spots the errant noodle in her salad, the missing thread in the
tapestry and the disparity in colors of the gown she is given. But
will she pass the ultimate test --- feeling a pea under twenty
mattresses while she sleeps? And what about the crocodile
princess, who keeps staring at Nicholas like he's a piece
of prime rib for dinner?
Gail Carson Levine, who won a Newberry Award for her retelling of the Cinderella story in Ella Enchanted, has a new series entitled The Princess Tales. The Princess Test is an updated version of The Princess and the Pea, told with Levine's style of wit and humor. Lorelei, who is a bit of a pill, is nevertheless quite likeable as the fussy child who finds a use for her pickiness. Lorelei's servant, Trudy, is hilarious as she schemes to get rid of the somewhat clueless Lorelei, and the Prince's parents elevate pickiness to an art form. The writing is funny and brisk, the pace never lags, and the author makes her point that no test can truly tell a person's worth, and that true love is more important than pedigree. The publisher did an excellent job with the style of the book, as well. The unusual size, lovely illustrations and elegant typeface add to the story immensely. Highly Recommended.
Return to the May 1999 issue of The IWJ.
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