Clever Beatrice [Paperback]

Margaret Willey (Author), Heather M. Solomon (Illustrator)

Book Description

What happens when a very little girl makes a bet with a very LARGE giant?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

He may be massive and burly, but this rich giant of the north woods is no match for tiny, whip-smart Beatrice. Determined to dupe the big guy out of his gold coins in order to put porridge on her poor mother's table, Beatrice proposes a match of strength. Amused, the giant agrees, only to be hoodwinked again and again by the wee lass.

Margaret Willey's clever version of the classic brains vs. brawn yarn rises above and beyond the garden-variety fairy tale by virtue of Heather Solomon's stunning, unusual illustrations. Incorporating photo scraps of flowers and wood grain into her watercolor, oil, and acrylic paintings, Solomon creates richly textured visions of the upper peninsula of Michigan. Especially magical are the portrayals of men fishing, mining, and logging in the densely wooded northern landscape. We can only hope that this, Solomon's first venture into picture books, is just the beginning of a long, prolific career. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

First-time illustrator Solomon makes an impressive debut in this winning tale of a spunky girl who matches her wits against a giant's brawn to save her family from destitution. Combining detailed watercolor and collage, the artist works patches of photographed tree bark, flowers, earth and grass into her paintings, creating a world in which realism blends with fantasy images to magical effect. Slender logs frame some of the pictures; in others, Beatrice and the giant appear as silhouettes against a white background. While some readers may find the heroine's cheekiness off-putting, others will admire her confidence and creative problem-solving as she tricks the giant into conceding each bet, in spite of his superior strength. Such humorous moments as when the girl wraps a rope around the giant's well and says, "I am not going to bother carrying those buckets one by one.... I would sooner pull out the whole well," are sure to amuse readers, as will the good-natured tone of the battle, which leaves the giant "smiling to himself, feeling lucky" despite his losses. Willey's engaging tale of her sharp-witted heroine's courage, enhanced by Solomon's inspired illustrations, is clever indeed. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (August 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068987068X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689870682
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 10.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,011,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Willey grew up in a lakeside town in Michigan, the eldest daughter in a family of eleven children. Reading stories and poems to her younger brothers and sisters led her to a life of writing stories and poems for young readers. She is the author of many young adult novels, most recently A SUMMER OF SILK MOTHS (Flux 2009) as well as picture books with an emphasis on folktales. She is the author of the CLEVER BEATRICE series, as well as THE 3 BEARS AND GOLDILOCKS (Atheneum 2008). She has received many honors for her books, including The Charlotte Zolotow Award and the Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award. She continues to write for both teens and younger readers and is a lifetime resident of Michigan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging illustrations!, February 5, 2002

By 

"jharp01" (Smyrna, DE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clever Beatrice: An Upper Peninsula Conte (Hardcover)

I LOVE the beautiful illustrations in this book! They're full of rich color and details. The technique of combining watercolors and collage makes for an interesting look. I also enjoy the fun story where a little girl outwits a large giant, and yet both feel lucky at the story's end. This book is definitely a winner!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VERY PLEASING STORY AND PLEASING ILLUSTRATIONS, November 14, 2006

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clever Beatrice (Paperback)

Beatrice outwits a not so clever giant in this tale of the North country. The story is told as a folk tale and the illustrations go right along with the simple story line are are quite able to stand alone. I enjoy this particular style of story telling and this particular style of art. The kids at school seem to enjoy not only reading it but having it read to them. It leaves great openings for discussion. All in all, recommend this one highly.

4.0 out of 5 stars Clever Beatrice really is smart., September 12, 2008

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clever Beatrice (Paperback)

And poor, of course (they're always poor, have you noticed?), at least, she is until she heads up to bet her strength against a giant.

Let's see... little girl... big giant - yeah, the giant thinks this is really funny too. Pity he's not as clever as she is. Through intelligence and plain old chutzpah, Beatrice convinces the giant three times that if she competes she's bound to destroy his property, so she wins her bets three times and goes home relatively wealthy. Not bad, not bad at all.