From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3–The creators of
Earthquack! (S & S, 2002) tackle The Three Billy Goats Gruff with gusto. On the way to the beach, the Three Silly Billies are stopped at a small wooden bridge by a rude troll sporting oversize boots and a hard hat marked Trollgate Plaza. The goats can't scrape together the toll so they pool their funds with those of the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and a skateboarding Jack returning to his mother with some beans. Painted in cheery watercolors, Moser's figures are in contemporary dress and pop out from the white backgrounds. There is plenty of visual humor: the contents of Red's basket are a hoot (e.g., Wulfbanex cream, makeup, and a cell phone) and Baby Bear's T-shirt reads Jus Rite. In the end, a hungry green giant gives the troll his comeuppance and the final picture shows an Under new management. sign on the bridge. Palatini's hip and punny text is fun to read aloud, and listeners will silently total the dimes and pennies as they mount toward the required dollar. For an enjoyable storytime, pair this offering with Alma Flor Ada's
Yours Truly, Goldilocks (S & S, l998) or Diane Stanley's
The Giant and the Beanstalk (HarperCollins, 2004) and invite children to recall even more folktale and nursery-rhyme connections.
–Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PreS-Gr. 2. The pair who created
Earthquack! (2002) reunite for riotous fun as several fairy tales fracture in a wild picture-book disaster. A grumpy, stumpy, hideous toll-bridge troll demanding money stops not only the three silly billy goats but also the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and a furious Jack from crossing the river. To best the monster, the travelers must join together to pool their resources. The sounds of the words and the puns ("Hey, Red, don't be blue") are as much fun as the quarrels, and Moser's big watercolor portraits show angry standoffs between characters that put a contemporary spin on a tale about a monster: the troll wears a hard hat; the goats sport cool sunglasses; and Red Riding Hood has painted toenails and a hammer, as well as a makeup brush, in her basket. Great for storytelling, especially for kids familiar with the original tales.
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
