Butterfingers

September 1, 2007
Gr 3-5-Ned is a stable boy, and not a very good one. He is clumsy and he spends much of his time daydreaming and watching Princess Bella from afar. When she is stolen by a giant monster, and none of the knights sent to retrieve her return, Ned sets out to rescue her with his animal friends Dilly the pony and Tuff the dog. Along the way, they pick up more companions including a pig, an otter, a lark, a mouse, and a fox. This well-told story is a simple fantasy for beginning chapter-book readers. The problem lies with the silhouette illustrations. While they are unique and interesting, they are distracting. In some places, they cut into the text, which could make tracking difficult for beginning or struggling readers. This is a shame because the story itself would be a good choice for these readers. Still, the book should be popular with children who like quests and anthropomorphic animals."Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
Charming black-and-white silhouette illustrations distinguish this slight but enjoyable original fairy tale, which incorporates many classic motifs: a princess with a golden ball, a stable boy who loves her, a nasty dragon, and a band of unlikely animal heroes. It's a nice twist that Butterfingers refers to the clumsy stable boy, who can?t catch the golden ball, and that the feisty princess speaks her mind and is a fine athlete. However, the princess ends up as a damsel in distress who must be rescued, which may disappoint young girls who delight in reading about capable female characters. The accumulation of helpful, speaking animal buddies is another satisfying fairy-tale motif that is present here, and readers will appreciate the lovable and distinct characteristics each animal brings to the rescue team. Although Trewellard does not stretch the genre into new territory, she's created a pleasing divertissement that will read aloud well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)