Smoky Mountain Rose: an Appalachian Cinderella Ages 5-13

In this variation on the Cinderella story, based on the Charles Perrault version but set in the Smoky Mountains, Rose loses her glass slipper at a party given by the rich feller on the other side of the creek.

Smoky Mountain Rose: an Appalachian Cinderella

By Alan Schroeder, Charles Perrault

Illustrated by Brad Sneed

Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, 1997

ISBN 0803717334, 9780803717336

32 pages

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7, Ages 10, 11, 12, 13, younger for reading aloud. Putting a down-home and downright enchanting Smoky Mountain spin on Perrault's classic Cinderella tale, Schroeder shows Rose, a trapper's dutiful and loving daughter, at the mercy of her father's "fearsome" second wife and two stepsisters, who are so mean "they'd steal flies from a blind spider." Schroeder's prince is Seb, a "rich feller--made his fortune in sowbellies and grits"; the palace ball is a square dance in Seb's barn; and the fairy godmother is a talking pig. The glass slippers remain: although Rose allows they're not too practical for square dancing, her dainty foot slips easily inside when Seb, searching the countryside for the shoe's owner, has her try it on. Sneed's watercolors are rich and intense; his angular lines draw readers into the action, whether the perspective is up close for Rose's feet or set back for scenes from a distance. From the opening line's enlarged, boldfaced, attention-grabbing "Now lis'en," this spirited rendition begs to be told or read out loud for sheer enjoyment and for enrichment in folklore studies. Ellen Mandel
From Kirkus Reviews
Schroeder's version of this tale is based directly on the familiar 17th-century Perrault tale, but written in an Appalachian dialect and placed "smack in the heart o' the Smoky Mountains.'' Cinderella--Rose in this tale--is the gentle daughter of a father who dies not long after he remarries. Her stepsisters and stepmother are cut from the usual bitter cloth, but there are some twists: The role of the fairy godmother is played by a huge hog, and the last image is of Rose (still wearing the slippers) and her handsome feller in old age, rocking on their porch swing. The watercolor illustrations owe much to the powerful, elongated figures and skewed perspective of American painter Thomas Hart Benton. The action is often seen up from ground level: an ant's-eye view of the hog, and Rose's glass pumps as a frame for her horse-drawn wagon, are strong and unusual images. A particularly nice touch is that pretty Rose has ordinary brown hair, while her stepsisters, homely though they are, are the more traditionally glamorous blonde and brunette. (Picture book/folklore. 5, 6, 7, 8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"Begs to be told or read out loud for sheer enjoyment and for enrichment in folklore studies". -- Booklist

Water Dance Ages 9-12

PREVIEW

From a gentle mountain pond to a raging waterfall or from a silent ocean mist to a sparkling rainbow, dramatic text and paintings give water voice and substance in this tribute to water in all its glorious forms. Inspiring and informative, Water Dance is a poetic introduction to one of nature’s most basic elements. Scientific facts about water and its role in our lives are included. “Thirteen lushly romantic oil paintings, accompanied by spare, poetic text, offer viewers a sensuous introduction to the water cycle.”--The Bulletin

Water Dance

By Thomas Locker

Illustrated by Thomas Locker

Edition: illustrated

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1997

ISBN 0152012842, 9780152012847

32 pages Ages 9, 10, 11, 12

Water in its many guises and the ...... scientific process that commands the shape it takes--liquid, solid, and gas--are the subjects of this collection of paintings. A first-person narration covers the journey of water on its circular ... more » path, as streams, rivers, and oceans evaporate into fog and clouds, only to return to earth as rain: ""I am one thing./I am many things./I am water./This is my dance through our world."" Of most interest but relegated to the back of the book are endnotes by Candace Christiansen (with Locker, Sky Tree, 1995) explaining scene-by-scene the various phenomena the painter's brush has recorded, e.g., a brilliant scarlet sunset is the result of low-angled sunlight passing through layers of water vapor. Locker's paintings and text are poetic, but both have a languid, slightly static quality to them. Unlike Sky Tree, in which science facts were incorporated into the body of the text, the paintings don't illustrate the text in any true sense, but sit on the page.

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

Books about using the Library & Books Ages 4-8

New to the Franklin County Public Library

"It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo."
In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal--tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. "She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter." In no time at all, Molly has them "forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks," going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books." Judy Sierra's funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown's lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Wild about Books

By Judy Sierra, Marc Brown

Translated by Marc Brown

Illustrated by Marc Tolon Brown, Marc Brown

Edition: illustrated

Published by Knopf, 2004

ISBN 037582538X, 9780375825385

40 pages Ages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Come Along! on a rhyming trip through the library where endearing animals show readers how to quietly select a book that's JUST RIGHT!, using shelf markers and good book care along the way.
We're Going on a Book Hunt

By Pat Miller

Published by UpstartBooks, 2008

ISBN 1602130078, 9781602130074 32 pages

The Library Doors

By Toni Buzzeo

Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

Edition: illustrated

Published by Highsmith Inc, 2008

ISBN 160213037X, 9781602130371

32 pages
These are available from Highsmith Upstart Books

A lion starts visiting the local library but runs into trouble as he tries to both obey the rules and help his librarian friend.
Library Lion

By Michelle Knudsen, Kevin Hawkes

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Edition: illustrated

Published by Candlewick Press, 2006

ISBN 0763622621, 9780763622626

42 pages

Knudsen and Hawkes pick a perfect ...

... setting to express the idea that breaking rules can sometimes be a good thing. When a lion wanders into a small town public library the Head Librarian, Miss Merriweather, brushes off the ... more » protestations of her realistically officious colleague Mr. McBee and allows it to stay—so long as it keeps quiet, doesn't run and makes itself useful cleaning books and licking envelopes while waiting for storytime to begin. Anxious-looking patrons of all ages quickly become accepting ones in Hawkes's soft toned watercolors, and if Miss Merriweather's hair and dress seem a bit stereotypical, occasional CRT monitors balance glimpses of rubber date stamps and a card catalog in his gracious, old style interiors. When Miss Merriweather takes a fall, the lion roars to attract help, then slinks out in shame—but McBee redeems himself by bustling out into the rain to inform the offender that Exceptions to the Rules are sometimes allowed. Consider this a less prescriptive alternative to Eric A. Kimmel's I Took My Frog to the Library (1990), illustrated by Blanche Sims—and it doesn't hurt that the maned visitor is as huge and friendly looking as the one in James Daugherty's classic Andy and the Lion. (Picture book. 6, 7, 8)

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

PreS-Gr 2, Ages 4, 5, 6, 7 -Miss Merriweather, head ...

... librarian and decorum-keeper, first meets Lion when he saunters past his stone counterparts and into the stacks. Scowling circulation assistant Mr. McBee seems intent on having the enormous cat ... more » ejected, but his boss declares that as long as he breaks no rules, he is welcome. The beast does misbehave though, roaring loud displeasure when storytime ends. At Miss Merriweather's reprimand, the contrite-looking lion promises to reform. In fact, he becomes something of a fixture in the building, dusting with his tail, licking envelopes, and serving as a stepstool for small patrons. Everyone appreciates him-except Mr. McBee. When Lion lets out another tremendous "RAAAHHHRRR!," the man bursts into Miss Merriweather's office to snitch-and there he finds her in distress, having fallen from a stool and broken her arm. Lion, la Lassie, has saved the day, but he is so chagrined by his own rule-breaking behavior that he doesn't return to the library. People miss him. Even Mr. McBee. A feel-good ending and a reminder that "Sometimes, there is a good reason to break the rules" bring the story to its most-satisfactory conclusion. Hawkes's deft acrylic-and-pencil pictures have appeal for generations of library lovers. They are rich with expression, movement, and detail. The lordly, lovable lion is a masterful mix-regal beast and furry friend-and the many human characters are drawn with animation and emotion. This winsome pairing of text and illustration is a natural for storytime and a first purchase for every collection.-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT

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