A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale

July 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-In an enchanted land, William pursues his dream of becoming a renowned chef, though he is hampered by a woeful lack of knowledge concerning fairy-tale characters and their stories. Unfortunately, his work at the houses owned by local residents has not been successful. Preparing Pot 'O' Wolf Stew at the Brick House is perilous, and William can't please the patrons at Three Bears Bistro. Finally, he makes a delivery to the Fairy-Tale Headquarters. William has cooked the apples, beans, and pumpkin intended for, respectively, Snow White, Jack and the beanstalk, and Cinderella, and Judy, chief of Fairy-Tale Headquarters, admonishes him: "I need shiny apples and raw beans and a whole pumpkin. Don't you know anything about fairy tales?" However, it turns out that this creative chef has whipped up a fine recipe for a fractured fairy tale-blend familiar storybook characters with lots of dialogue, add a pinch of disharmony, and stir in a happy-ever-after ending. Richly colorful cartoon illustrations fill the book, while a variation of image size, angles, and text placement directs readers' eyes through the turning pages of each character's tale. VERDICT A fun read-aloud for fairy-tale units and a suggested general purchase for all libraries.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2017
William might live in the land of fairy tales, but he just wants to cook. More interested in pastries than princesses, William's tried plying his culinary trade around the fairy-tale kingdom. At the Brick House (run by the Three Pigs), "the menu was too dangerous" (think Pot-o'-Wolf Stew). At Three Bears Bistro, the customers were too picky about the food's temperature. And his stint at Gingerbread-on-the-Go ended in a footrace with the cookies. Setting out to acquire ingredients to cook from home, he finds a box addressed to Fairy-Tale Headquarters containing apples, beans, and a pumpkin. He decides to spruce up their menu and cooks a delightful dish with each--but Judy at headquarters and the fairy-tale folk who'd ordered the original ingredients for their tales are aghast. After reading the book of fairy tales they send him away with, William rushes back to see what's happened. Snow White passed out after eating every one of his delicious baked apples, but the prince kissed her awake, so all's well there. Jack traded the yummy bean soup for the giant's castle, so that's ended well also. But what can Cinderella do with a pumpkin pie? It works out happily ever after for everyone, especially William. Klostermann's triple-twisted tale is a cute concoction that children familiar with the traditional stories will enjoy. Mantle's bright, cartoon illustrations pair neatly with the text and propel the story with whimsical sight gags and charm to spare. Save a passing giant and a few of the dwarves, all the human or humanoid characters are white (or green). All that's missing are the recipes. (Picture book. 5-8)

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July 1, 2018
William dreams of being a famous chef in his fairy-tale realm. After several failed attempts, he finds a box of raw materials and, misunderstanding their purpose, cooks up story elements (e.g., Cinderella's pumpkin becomes "Pumpkin Pie with Cream and Candied Pecans") to humorous effect. It's a delicious twist on well-known tales, stuffed with cooking vocabulary and dynamic illustrations and topped off with happily-ever-afters for everyone.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)