Give and Take

Starred review from May 19, 2014
Two strong-willed elves harry a farmer in this pitch-perfect folktale by Caldecott Medalist Raschka. While harvesting apples, the farmer meets Take, “a tiny little man” dressed in black. The farmer heeds Take’s advice to “take as much as we can,” trades all his apples for pumpkins, and ends up with “gallons of pumpkin soup.” The next day, he sends Take away and meets Give, another Rumpelstiltskin lookalike dressed all in white. “Give away everything you have,” Give orders. Unfortunately, once the farmer dispenses with his opinions and his apples, he goes home alone and hungry. On the third day, the man balances Give and Take’s input, resulting in an apple pie for all to share. Raschka illustrates in wide strokes and swoops of India ink, daubed with jewel-toned watercolors, for a rustic, handcrafted feel. Give and Take recall a classic angel-and-devil duo (or Spy vs. Spy), but neither is all good or bad. This isn’t a flashy story, but one whose wisdom flows naturally from a well-structured setup amid dashes of visual and verbal humor. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

June 15, 2014
Imagine Rumpelstiltskin with an equally imperious twin, and you'd approximate Take and Give, a tiny pair who bedevil a farmer with conflicting advice.Borrowing motifs and pacing from traditional folklore, Raschka introduces a mild man intent on harvesting apples. First Take emerges, promising a "finer" life. When a neighbor woman offers the farmer some of her pumpkins, Take urges, "Take them. Take all of them. Take as many as you see." Hauling a voluminous load of pumpkins, the farmer trudges all day at Take's pointless urging to "take a hike." Returning home to make the pumpkin soup the neighbor had suggested, the exhausted fellow realizes that he and his dog both dislike it. Next morning, having banished Take, the farmer picks a second tree, only to be visited by Give, who promises a "sweeter" life. Give similarly beleaguers the farmer, making him relinquish all his apples to a pig farmer. The third harvest day, the tiny duo's argumentative wrestling sparks new ideas for the farmer. He gives the miller apples and takes some flour, and soon, a happy ending (and a lovely pie) is shared by all. Raschka's customary thick, dry, brushy black shapes and contours dominate a rather somber palette of gray, red, teal and orange. This marriage of a well-told, folklore-reminiscent tale, dynamic line and muted palette evoke the 1950s-era work of Paul Galdone and Nicolas Mordvinoff.Inventive as ever. (Picture book. 4-8)

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June 1, 2014

K-Gr 3-A farmer goes to pick apples in his orchard and encounters a little man named Take, who urges him to take all the pumpkins a neighbor offers. He carries them home and-following his neighbor's advice-makes gallons of pumpkin soup that neither he nor his dog will eat. Sending Take away, the farmer again gathers apples and meets another little man named Give, who offers him advice, so this time he gives his ripe apples-and his opinions-to a pig farmer. That evening the farmer has an empty stomach and an empty head. He sends Give away. Picking apples a third time, he sees the little men fighting over who is best and puts both of them into his basket. He then gives some apples to the miller and takes some flour. Back home, he makes an apple pie that he, his dog, and Give and Take enjoy. Artwork is done in ink and watercolor. Strong black lines make eye-catching use of the white space. In some illustrations the colors are mottled and images are indistinct, perhaps reflecting ambiguous attitudes toward give and take, generosity and greed. The farmer finds inspiration hearing the little men shout their names. Eating pie sweetens them, and they take each other's hands and and then hug each other. The contrast between the traditional telling and the bold, edgy illustrations may not appeal to everyone, but this is a good choice for storytime and will spark interesting discussions.-Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2014
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Meet an apple farmer who loves his apples. One day, he finds the apples of his oldest tree ripe and ready. But while he is picking, someone finds the farmer: an elfin little man named Take. When a grower asks the farmer if he'd like some pumpkins, Take insists the old fellow grab them all. So the farmer dumps the apples and brings home pumpkins instead, winding up with pots of pumpkin soupand he doesn't even like pumpkin soup. The next day, another little fellow appears, this one named Give. Give offers the opposite advice and insists that all of the picked applesalong with many opinionsare given to a pig farmer. Finally, the third day sees Give and Take wrestling and squabbling until the farmer trades some of his apples for some of the miller's flour. The result? Apple pie! And now it is clear (and will be clear to the audience) that what Give and Take need are each other. This simple, powerful parable finds perfect expression in Raschka's wildly inventive ink-and-watercolor illustrations. Bold, exaggerated swirls depict the action as well as the emotional toll of the farmer's attempts to balance, well, everything: plans, pronouncements, and produce. Occasionally these dramatic images are a bit hard to decipher, but children will let their imaginations take over as they ponder how give-and-take can work for them. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Librarians and fans are always interested in what the multitalented Raschka is up to. Here he makes a welcome foray into the world of fables.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)