A Tale of a Small Mouse and Two Hungry Cats
by Dvora Amir illustrated by Ora Ayal
Ayalot Publishing
ages: very young
not available from Amazon
Yes, another book about creative mice trying to outwit blood thirsty cats. Though the scenario is familiar, the twist in this tale is clever. A Tale of a Small Mouse is a short and charming story for very young children and their slightly older siblings.
As the title suggests, the cats want to eat the mouse. He diverts them by offering other foods depicted in a book he has with him. He runs off to the market and buys them first corn, then watermelon, which buys him time as well. The game seems to be up when the last page of his book reveals a drawing of a mouse - but the mouse thinks on his feet and saves himself from the feline fangs.
Coincidentally, another Israeli book not yet published in English, A Tale of a Small Mouse is amusingly written. For example, the main character is introduced as follows, "Suddenly they (the cats) saw a tail, and at the end of the tail -- a mouse. A small mouse with a large book."
With a solid plot and the use of repetition, Dvora Amir knows how to attract young listeners without using any gimmicks. The mouse seems to be refreshingly surprised every time the hungry cats repeat their wish to eat him. The cats have an identical answer to his same plea of looking in his book. Just as with the famous responses in The Three Little Pigs, the young listener has ample opportunities in A Small Mouse for participation.
Eyal's pen and water colours perfectly capture the sleepy, hungry, simple faces of the cats. The mouse is shown in two ways. First, as himself in a fearful state; and second, as the mouse in the book-within-the-book, sitting on a corn cob or skiing on an ice cream-sundae. The watermelon is succulently red and the corn a golden yellow. The classic end to the story finds the cats waiting "to this day", for the mouse to return. It is just that sort of ending which provokes a "flip back to the front" sort of response to read it yet again. In this case, the repetition will be greeted with enthusiasm.
other books about cats reviewed in the PBQ are included in the <../pets/petsf.htm>Animals section.
Leopard in Golden Pyjamas
by Nurit Zarchi
ages: sthng-sthng
not available from Amazon
Not many children's books deal head-on with the fights and tantrums that are an inseparable part of every young family's experiences. One that does so in a charming and surprising way is Leopard in Golden Pyjamas, a story by Israeli author Nurit Zarchi. Johnny, the book's five-year-old hero, intends to be a leopard when he grows up - and uses this as an excuse to be naughty. Only when his angry father is turns into a ferocious leopard himself does Johnny return to human form.
Although most parents prefer to forget their children's bad moments rather than to see them immortalized in print, the book offers a comforting reminder that one is not experiencing these difficulties alone.
Contrasting styles are central to the vision of illustrator Ora Ayal. On right-hand pages, Johnny's father and his baby brother are drawn in delicate pen and watercolour. On the left, the son-as-leopard is painted in oil or acrylic in bold brushstrokes reminiscent of Rousseau and Matisse.
While the boy devours imaginary prey, climbs trees, romps around curtains and patterned duvets, and leaps into a starry sky, a series of smaller drawings develops page by page into a fully-formed miniature leopard.
Women will be amused by the sight of a lone father suffering the rigours of life with two children. Does he loses his temper so quickly because a day with the kids is a rare occurrence - or is he a full time daddy who has simply burned out?
To British readers, young Johnny may seem a little too disrespectful to his father. His Israeli bluntness might need to be toned down for audiences here. In one argument the boy asks his father whether he is deaf; and when he is ordered to bed, the boy says, "I'm not moving. I don't want to be human. How many times do I have to tell you that I am a leopard?"
A dramatic book, in short, with pleasing pictures, that could do well in the British market as a helpful catalyst for one-on-one discussions with bright but insubordinate kids. One must watch out, though, that Johnny doesn't give them too many naughty ideas.
Ninjin; Moja Moja; Iyada Iyada
by Keiko Sena Fukuinkan Shoten
ages: 2-5
not available from Amazon
What approach do parents choose when they face a toddler's refusal and disinclination to do certain things? How do they entice a toddler to do something that he is not keen on? Three classic books by the Japanese author Keiko Sena singularly deal with carrot eating, having hair-cuts and throwing tantrums.
Iyada Iyada (Don't don't) is unique in that the reader sees angry faces page after page without, enjoying a typical happy ending. The story deals with tantrums in a direct manner; if you behave in a certain way, you will get a certain response. Look before you leap, seems to be the message here.
On page one, an angry face of a little girl appears and says, "Don't, don't". In response to that, her angry mother refuses to respond. A fierce looking cake and an apple run away. The angry sun hides behind a cloud and rain falls. Her shoes and even her favorite teddy bear are angry. They all say "Don't, don't", just like Lulu. "What is Lulu going to do?"
Her face is no longer angry, but sad and lonely. The simple illustrations and text lines have a strong impact and introduce a young toddler to the logic of cause and effect.
Ninjin (Carrot) attempts to show an example of positive motivation when encouraging a child to eat a disliked food.
"Who likes carrots?" The book first introduces friendly animals eating carrots while chanting, "Oh, delicious!", page after page. This has an almost hypnotic effect.
The book ends by asking "Who is a healthy child, like the rabbit that likes a carrot?" with a picture of a smiling boy eating a bowl of food. This is an interesting question. Equally interestingly is the answer to whether the approach works.
The premise loses its effectiveness when the rabbits declare that they are the ones who like carrots best after all. How can one compete with a bunny in a carrot liking contest?
Moja Moja(Fuzzy Wuzzy) is about haircuts - not the most popular activity for children. The story introduces a young reader to the notion of the abstract. "What is 'Moja Moja'?", it first asks a fuzzy brown creature on the page.
Strong and simple illustrations that emphasize the volume of overgrown hair, a tree, dog's fur, and the untidiness of unwound yarn, let the reader comprehend the state of 'moja moja'.
Here again, Sena's story illustrates the concept of cause and effect by showing contrasting states, the before and the after.
Lulu's dog, Koro, gets a nice hair-cut, a gardener trims a bushy tree and unwound yarn gets wound into a ball shape. Lastly, we see a smiling Lulu with a new hair-cut. This book tells the reader simply what haircuts are all about.
Sena's pictures are very simple and large. He collages bright and attractively coloured paper. Unlike the well-know illustrations of Eric Karle's, Sena uses Japanese rice paper, both roughly torn and in sharp edged pieces. This contrast produces wonderful effects in textures. This is best expressed in Moja Moja, is Lulu's fuzzy and voluminous hair.
The Very Kind Rich Lady and her One Hundred Dogs by Chinlun Lee Walker Books
ages: 2-5
buy:
I visited Venice last spring. While there I went to the Peggy Guggenheim collection. The galleries were filled with an array of "important" pictures. She had an eye for art and especially what was avant garde at the time.
Even more exciting than the art was the garden, the plants, the sculpture, the chairs. Peggy is buried in the garden. Along with her are her "children". Their names and the dates of their brief lives are engraved in stone. But Peggy did not have any children. These are the names of her pets. Cats and dogs, I think.
Peggy Guggenheim must have loved her "children" and she would have loved this book. Although this book is dedicated to someone named Fu-Ling, presumably from China, rich women who adore their pets are a breed unto themselves.
In this case the rich lady adopted stray dogs. There are one hundred of them. She named each of them. Most of the book is taken up with what they are called. Then it tells the reader about how she cares for them. The last scene depicts them sleeping altogether in her house. "Goodnight, one hundred dogs," it says.
Chinlun Lee seems to use coloured pencils and water. Perhaps she has the kind of pencils that you can dip in water for the watercolour paint effect. The rich old lady is glamorous, cheerful, obsessed and clearly in love.
She uses a condensed typewriter font in various sizes as well as handwriting in places. There is not a lot of plot but it is a charming read for pet owners and not.
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