From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4–When five giant sisters open a quarry on Umbagog Lake in New Hampshire, one of them carves a miniature granite town, finishing with a tiny stone baby. Lil Fella wails unceasingly, and the siblings can't get him quiet. Nellie, a young wannabe stonecutter, offers some ideas—give him warm clothes, food, etc. However, since everything the sisters fashion is of stone and giant-sized, nothing works. Finally, human-sized Nellie takes the infant into her arms and rocks him to sleep. The sisters realize that a cozy cradle and soft smile do more for a fussy baby than all the newfangled granite creations they can provide. With its larger-than-life female superachievers, this delightful story is a welcome addition to the male-dominated canon of tall tales. Bertrand also provides a twist to the usual format, for unlike heroes such as Paul Bunyan and Sally Ann Thunder, the enormous sisters are unable to solve their problem with their colossal talents, but must rely on a clever, but much smaller, girl. This turnabout will resonate with youngsters who often feel overwhelmed by a world of adults. The story is well told, the setting is clearly described, and the vocabulary has a down-home flavor that adds to its comforting tone. Hawkes's brightly colored acrylic paintings are filled with interesting details, his landscape is decidedly New England, and his characters' emotions are plainly visible in their facial expressions and trademark big eyes. This rock-solid tall tale will quickly become a favorite.
–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
*Starred Review* K-Gr. 2. New Hampshire residents may have lost their iconic Old Man in the Mountain, but with this splendid tall tale, they have gained five mountain women (and one granite babe). Cut from the same cloth as Anne Isaacs and Paul Zelinsky's
Swamp Angel (1994), giant siblings Jade, Golda, Ruby, Em, and Beryl each possess a special talent that keeps their granite quarry running smoothly. When stonecutter Beryl carves a real infant, "as dear as any backwoods baby--if a mite heavier than most," its wailing disturbs the entire state. Neither Beryl's granite layette, nor Em's giant, hand-carved rocker, nor any of the remaining sisters' superhuman feats stop the fussing, which persists until a wise local girl intervenes. Together with Bertrand's rollicking text, Hawkes' broad double-page paintings make this ideal for sharing with groups, but children will also want to pore over such details as the locustlike swarm of "WAAAH"s emerging from the baby's mouth, and backgrounds inspired by Granite State minerals. While kids giggle over the juxtapositions of the towering sisters and their fingertip-size charge, they (and their elders) may also appreciate the gentle mockery of overeager parents who sweat over fancy nursery accoutrements and overlook the most modest comforts of all.
Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
