Day: December 13, 2010

Three Little Kittens

| Tasha

three little kittens

Three Little Kittens by Jerry Pinkney

Caldecott medalist, Pinkney, has created a picture book version of the beloved nursery rhyme.  Pinkney stays true to the original version of the rhyme.  His illustrations offer a realistic and detailed depiction of the rhyme, offering a jaunty tone that works very well here.  The mother cat is fully clothed in a dress while the kittens romp in collars only, allowing them to act more like cats while they play.  The small details in the illustrations are delightful.  The kittens play with a mouse jack-in-the-box and a mouse doll.  Meanwhile real mice peek around a corner.  The birds outside also have scarves and hats, echoing the anthropomorphized cats nicely.

Pinkney has made this a great autumn book by having the cats frolic in fallen leaves.  In fact, the leaves are what hide the mittens from view when they lose them.  When the cats head back to find their mittens, they find them just where they left them, as young readers will enjoy remembering.  The playful kittens have detailed fur that is lush, fuzzy and fine.  All three having different colored coats make for dynamic and appealing pictures.

A lovely take on a classic rhyme, this book will be welcomed to library and classroom shelves as another great picture book by a master.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

You can also check out this video of Jerry Pinkney talking about creating the book:

Jerry Pinkney and Three Little Kittens
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12 Days of Christmas

| Tasha

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12 Days of Christmas by Rachel Isadora

I have been a fan of Isadora’s retellings of classic European fairy tales with an African flair and this is no exception.  Isadora takes the Christmas carol and turns it into a celebration of both the holiday and Africa.  While the words remain the same as the traditional carol, Isadora interprets them in a new way.   The five gold rings are around a woman’s neck like women in South Africa.  Eight maids a-milking are milking goats rather than cows.  9 ladies dancing was inspired by women from Swaziland.  Isadora builds in the repeating section of the carol with a rebus that refers back to previous illustrations with clear numbers.  You can see the images used for the rebus on the cover of the book.  This adds an ease to the book that could have been overwhelmed with all of the text otherwise.  Isadora has created a global celebration with this book.

Isadora’s illustrations are really what makes this book unique.  Her African interpretations of the carol are engaging and refreshing.  Isadora uses collage to create her images.  Her use of painting effects on the paper she uses to make her collages add a definite texture and line to the illustrations.  She has created a book that has the hot sun and the glowing colors of Africa.

A very nice addition to library Christmas collections, this book will offer a glimpse of another part of the world through a familiar lens.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.