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Tops & Bottoms |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
 Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0152928510 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2?A note states that this trickster tale has "roots in European folktales and slave stories of the American South." Lazy Bear sleeps through every planting season, so conniving Hare makes a deal. He and his family will work Bear's land and split the crops in half. He'll even let Bear choose which half he wants?"tops or bottoms." Bear chooses tops so Hare plants root crops, leaving Bear with a useless harvest. A furious Bear insists next time he'll take bottoms so Hare plants corn, leaving empty stalks. The entertaining story is illustrated with Stevens's now familiar artwork?lively, colorful line-and-wash spreads filled with sprightly characters and humorous details. The contrast between the slumbering bear and the frantically energetic hare family is especially amusing. Unfortunately, some... |
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From Pictures to Words: A Book about Making a Book |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0823412717 |
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| Availability: |
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From Publishers Weekly
Stevens (Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale) writes-and draws-herself into this innovative explanation of how authors and artists create picture books. Rendered in black-and-white drawings, she sits in her studio surrounded by vividly colored and humorously garbed animals who urge her to write a story. Stevens agrees, picks three creatures (a rhino, koala and cat) to appear in her tale and, insisting she is an illustrator and not an author, cautions them not to expect too much of her. As the characters contribute sometimes outlandish suggestions and diverting asides, Stevens tells them that their story needs a setting; a beginning, middle and end; plus a plot in which something happens. She lays out her sketches in a storyboard and then, with her chatty characters by her side, goes through the processes of... |
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The Great Fuzz Frenzy |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0152046267 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2–It all begins innocently enough, when Violet the dog drops a fuzzy green tennis ball down a prairie-dog hole on the title page. When it finally lands deep in the underground tunnels, dozens of little dogs are gazing at it with trepidation. The biggest prairie dog of all, the bully Big Bark, comes to take a look, but before he can get close enough, Pip Squeak runs up to the ball and exclaims, ‘It's fuzzy!' ‘Oooooooh!' gasped the other dogs. Soon, they all begin adorning themselves with pieces of lime-green fuzz, ignoring Big Bark's commands that they stop this foolishness. Prairie dogs come from all over to help themselves until the ball is plucked bare. War breaks out, leaving Pip Squeak feeling rather guilty for starting it... |
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Epossumondas |
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| Author: |
Coleen Salley |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
015216748X |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
Book Review
Veteran children's lit professor Coleen Salley tells a variation on her signature story, an archetypal "noodlehead" tale based on the time-honored Southern legend of Epaminondas. A "sweet patootie" named Epossumondas headlines here as a be-diapered young possum who follows his mama's instructions a little too literally. "Queen Coleen" (as Salley sometimes goes in her native New Orleans) tells her story in slow, old-South cadence, repeating a cycle where Epossumondas visits his auntie "most every day" and receives something to take home to his mama's. His gifts, however, never seem to arrive intact: After Epossumondas arrives home with a piece of cake that's been squinched into a fistful of crumbs, his mama scolds, "Oh, Epossumondas, you don't have the sense you were born with! That's no way to carry cake! The... |
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Why Epossumondas Has No Hair on His Tail |
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| Author: |
Coleen Salley |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0152049355 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–In this sequel to Epossumondas (Harcourt, 2002), Papapossum's yearning for Bear's persimmons cost him and all future opossums their once-fluffy tails. Salley has a true storyteller's voice, peppering the text with colorful descriptions and amusing expressions that give the tale an authentic folktale feel. Stevens's large, brightly hued mixed-media illustrations add greatly to the fun, particularly when Papapossum is finding creative uses for his now elongated and naked tail. Scenes with "that sweet little patootie," Epossumondas, comfortably ensconced on his Mama's lap lend an air of coziness to the story. This will be a surefire hit when shared with a group or one-on-one.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a... |
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Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0152056580 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
Book Review
"'Always chicken feed! Day after day--year after year--I'm sick of it!' squawked Big Brown Rooster." In this deliciously imaginative book by sisters Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, a hungry and fed-up rooster suddenly recalls his famous Great-Granny, a fabulous chef who penned a book of recipes for future generations. He hunts down her cookbook--The Joy of Cooking Alone by L.R. Hen. Rooster carefully turned the pages. "So many recipes--and I thought she just baked bread! Look at the strawberry shortcake!... Yes sirree--just like Great-Granny, I'll be a cook! COOK-A-DOODLE-DO-O-O!" Upon settling down with this remarkable tale, every child's natural curiosity for cooking will likewise come bursting forth. There is a great basic story here, with plenty of creative spins on The... |
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Princess and the Pea |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0823407535 |
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| Availability: |
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From Publishers Weekly
Even in the tropics, it appears, love conquers all: Stevenson cleverly sets her jaunty retelling on a balmy South Sea isle. From that idyllic spot a peripatetic prince journeys quite literally to the ends of the earth in his quest for a true princess--readers see him sitting astride a camel under the blazing desert sun, beckoning to monkeys in the jungle and contemplating an arctic yak. That he and all the prospective princesses (as well as the genuine article that eventually, of course, turns up) are rabbits further heightens the silliness and the fun. Floppy-earred, pudgy and arrayed in exotic costumes befitting their locales, this troupe is beguiling indeed. Stevenson's ( Christmas Eve ; Jessica the Blue Streak ) unaffected prose, expressively cartoony style and fresh pastels make this an accessible and... |
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To Market, to Market |
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| Author: |
Anne Miranda |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0152000356 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
From Publishers Weekly
"In this clever riff on the old nursery rhyme, a plump matron makes a series of increasingly calamitous purchases of animals at the supermarket. This is one market trip children will wish to take again and again," PW said. Ages 5-8. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3?What begins with the traditional serene nursery rhyme turns into a slapstick excursion filled with mishap and mayhem. A "fat pig" is not enough for this ambitious shopper. The elderly woman makes return trips to the market for a hen, trout, lamb, cow, duck, and goat. While she is acquiring more, her earlier purchases are wreaking havoc. Patterned, staccato verses tell the zany tale, but it is... |
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The Three Billy Goats Gruff |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0152002332 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2 Only the familiar plot of this well-known Norwegian folktale is recognizable in this revision. Gone is the cadence and beauty of G. W. Dasent's translation of Asbjornsen and Moe's text, found in Marcia Brown's version (HBJ, 1957; o.p.). Instead there is language devoid of rhythm and mystery. In addition, unnecessary motivations are ascribed to the characters that serve to explain the reason for their violent actions (the troll is hungry; the big Billy Goat Gruff is angry). These explanations serve only to dilute the power of the story. The full-color illustrations are humorous; the goats walk about on their hind legs, the smallest goat wears a diaper and sucks a pacifier, and the biggest wears a black leather jacket, to reinforce the point that he is tough enough to destroy the troll. The... |
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Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock |
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| Author: |
Retold by Eric A. Kimmel |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0823407985 |
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| Availability: |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4 Anansi the Spider happens upon an unusual stone that magically puts him to sleep for an hour. The master trickster decides to use the rock to get the food stores from the rest of the local residents. Each animal is taken in turn to the strange moss-covered rock, says the magic phrase, and promptly falls asleep to have its food pilfered by Anansi. All the while, however, Little Bush Deer silently watches. Ultimately, it is small and shy Deer who outwits Anansi and returns the food to its rightful owners. Although no specific source is given, Kimmel has retold a West African tale (said to be known in Caribbean culture). The text is rhythmic, nicely building suspense to the inevitable conclusion. Stevens' complementary, colorful illustrations add detail, humor, and movement to the text. Here, Anansi... |
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Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0152019243 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
Book Review
"'Always chicken feed! Day after day--year after year--I'm sick of it!' squawked Big Brown Rooster." In this deliciously imaginative book by sisters Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, a hungry and fed-up rooster suddenly recalls his famous Great-Granny, a fabulous chef who penned a book of recipes for future generations. He hunts down her cookbook--The Joy of Cooking Alone by L.R. Hen. Rooster carefully turned the pages. "So many recipes--and I thought she just baked bread! Look at the strawberry shortcake!... Yes sirree--just like Great-Granny, I'll be a cook! COOK-A-DOODLE-DO-O-O!" Upon settling down with this remarkable tale, every child's natural curiosity for cooking will likewise come bursting forth. There is a great basic story here, with plenty of creative spins on The... |
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Anansi and the Talking Melon |
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| Author: |
Retold by Eric A. Kimmel |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0823411672 |
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| Availability: |
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From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Another of Kimmel's retellings of the fabled African spider and his escapades, joining Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (1990) and Anansi Goes Fishing (1992, both Holiday). In this tale, lazy Anansi eats his way into Elephant's melon but is then too bloated to crawl out. The always sneaky spider decides it is a perfect opportunity to play a trick and so convinces the animal that he owns a talking melon. Elephant can't wait to share his discovery with King Monkey. Along the way he is joined by Hippo, Warthog, Ostrich, Rhino, and Turtle. King Monkey, skeptical at first, becomes irate when the melon insults him. Of course, the resulting mayhem only adds to Anansi's delight. The same elements that made Kimmel's earlier books popular are in evidence here. The snappy narration is well suited... |
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Anansi Goes Fishing |
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| Author: |
Eric A. Kimmel |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0823410226 |
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| Availability: |
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From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-- In a companion volume to Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock (Holiday, 1990), Kimmel and Stevens team up again to extend the humor of a trickster tale from Africa. Anansi joins Turtle on a fishing excursion, intending to con him out of all the fish. Anansi's stubborn selfishness proves to be his undoing day after day until, at last, he realizes the folly of his ways because he has been tricked into doing all the work and is still hungry. Kimmel has adapted Joyce Cooper Arkhurst's sparer version found in The Adventures of Spider , (Little, 1964; o.p.) transforming the fisherman into a turtle and judiciously exercising his storyteller's prerogative to add humorous details and lively dialogue that follows a repetitive pattern. Although the ending has been changed substantially from the... |
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And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon |
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| Author: |
Janet Stevens |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0152022988 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
Book Review
Lots of people know the nursery rhyme, "Hey Diddle Diddle," but has anyone ever thought about what happens each night after it's read? The dish runs away with the spoon, and, presumably, they come back later, otherwise the rhyme couldn't go on without them. But one night, when the dish and spoon take off, they simply don't return! The fiddle-playing cat, laughing dog (who turns out to be quite a grump when he's not playing his part), and the sleepy, moon-hopping cow set out to search for their missing friends. Along the way they encounter Little Boy Blue, the spider from "Little Miss Muffet," Humpty Dumpty's repairman, and a big bad wolf. But will they catch up with the dish and the spoon before the next reading? And can all of them dodge the dangers of an after-hours, fairy-tale world? Janet Stevens and Susan... |
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Tumbleweed Stew |
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| Author: |
Susan Stevens Crummel |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0152048308 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Jack Rabbit, the hungry Texas cousin of Janet Stevens's Hare in Tops and Bottoms (Harcourt, 1995), is up to something as he hops onto a ranch to find lunch. The trickster tale emerges as he tells Armadillo, the owner, that he would like to make her some Tumbleweed Stew. He adds tumbleweed to some boiling water and other animals, including Buzzard, Deer, and Skunk, contribute different vegetables, and soon a delicious stew is bubbling in the big pot. Full and happy, the creatures all doze off, and when Jack Rabbit awakens with a growling tummy, he thinks of another tricky recipe to share. The funny text flows well and is full of repetition as the list of vegetables grows, and the soft-edged illustrations give personality to the characters and offer plenty of visual clues. Jack Rabbit... |
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