Natalie Portman's Fables

October 12, 2020
Rhyming couplets, gross-out humor, and heavy-handed moralizing mark Portman’s retellings of three classic tales. Hare leaves Tortoise behind in a “bunny-cloud stink” that “smells like when carrots come out in a poo” in the duo’s classic fable. In “The Three Little Pigs,” Melinda the pig “loved sodas and all types of sugars./ She’d sip as she’d pick and then flick all her boogers.” And anti-materialism vibes prevail in “Country Mouse and City Mouse”: “A true friend should care about how you are feeling/ Not for your gowns or that thing on your ceiling.” Though Portman’s values are zeitgeisty—the tortoise lauds life lived “attentively;” the pigs’ houses fail because they are made of takeout containers and plastic straws—strained rhymes and thin humor wear (“ ‘Where’s your hu-mi-li-ty?’ asked Wolf that day. ‘The one tea I care for is creamy Earl Grey’ ”). Mattia’s sweet-faced
animals, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, combine visuals such as chopstick-using animals and a gilded rhino horn with a bucolic, animated style reminiscent of mid-20th-century cartoons. Ages 4–6.

October 1, 2020

Gr 1-3-Some children's stories are timeless, three of which are retold in this book for a new generation of young readers. First, the tortoise and the hare race for glory, learning that patience and perseverance lead to victory more often than raw skill and bravado. Next, the three little pigs strike out on their own, building their own homes out of the materials they have on hand. Along the way, their habits and waste are emphasized, causing readers to examine their own behaviors, as well. Last, country mouse and city mouse get a taste of each other's differing lifestyles, learning that each has its own unique benefits. Portman's activist voice comes out in the final lines of each story. Rhyming couplets are used throughout, but the meter and pacing of each line are uneven, making it difficult to read the stories aloud. Additionally, the challenging vocabulary and subject matter may prove to be better suited to an older audience than intended. Mattia's illustrations improve the package and are enjoyable in their design. Readers young and old will be reminded of nostalgic childhood memories when seeing the pastel colors and watercolor designs. Expressive and dynamic, each illustration supports the forward momentum of the tales-only one of which is an actual fable-at hand. VERDICT This well-intentioned collection lacks the qualities necessary to become a library must-buy.-Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
A trio of tales to educate and entertain. Updated versions of "The Tortoise and the Hare," "The Three Little Pigs," and "Country Mouse and City Mouse" guide readers through three classic tales. The stories are updated with amusing modern twists, such as how one little piggie uses the leftover chopsticks from a plethora of takeout orders to build a house of sticks, and kid-friendly details include a flatulent hare. Related in verse (mostly rhyming couplets with the occasional inexplicable variation), the stories suffer from labored syntax and shoehorned rhymes: "Planning and thinking out how to build cleanly / Makes your house sturdy / And keeps our Earth looking greenly." The internal logic of some of the tales may baffle discerning readers; in "Country Mouse and City Mouse," for instance, a rhinoceros is terrified by a house cat, and a rattlesnake attends a mouse's dinner party as an invited guest. The cheery, colorful illustrations populated by smiling anthropomorphic animals do a lot of heavy lifting, and the balance of white space keeps the nostalgia-tinged compositions looking fresh and crisp. The art may not be enough to make this a family favorite, however. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-13.2-inch double-page spreads viewed at 100% of actual size.) Pretty but forgettable. (Picture book/folktales. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.