You Can't Have Too Many Friends

January 27, 2014
Nonsense and naivete rule Caldecott-winner Gerstein's (The Man Who Walked Between the Towers) retelling of Charles Marelle's 1888 fairy tale, "Drakestail." In this version of the repetition-driven story, the kingâa heavyset boy wearing Chuck Taylors, a crown with the brim of a baseball cap, and an "I'm the king" T-shirtâ"borrows" a bumper crop of farmer Duck's prize-winning jelly beans. After a year passes with the king failing to return the candy, Duck sets off to retrieve it. En route, he accumulates companions that mirror those in "Drakestail," whom he transports by having them shrink down to ride in his pocket, gullet, or ear (in the case of a swarm of wasps). One by one, they help thwart the king's attempts to do away with Duck. Gerstein's mixed-media cartooning creates a freewheeling atmosphere of silliness, although the dialogue is so lively ("I don't think my jelly beans are really here," says Duck after being led into the king's oven) that the brief bits of narration are almost superfluous. Still, it's an entertaining story of justice and jelly beans. Ages 3â7.

February 1, 2014
Gerstein tones down the violence and ramps up the humor in this reworked version of an old tale: A year after the king "borrows" his prizewinning jelly beans, Duck the gardener marches off to get them back. Singing as he goes--"Quack, quack, quack! / Quack, quack, quack! / I'm off to get my jelly beans back!"--Duck picks up Dog, Lady Ladder, Babbling Brook and a nest of wasps along the way. And don't they come in handy when the king, depicted in Gerstein's buoyant cartoon illustrations as an ill-tempered little brat, plops Duck down amid a crowd of hostile turkeys, then into a well, then into a hot oven! When the wasps at last drive the king and his equally surly mother away, a search of the castle turns up not jelly beans (as "of course the king had eaten them"), but only a lot of unwanted precious gems. However, disappointed Duck arrives back home to find the king waiting with a tearful apology and an entire pink dump truck full of jelly beans. May he stay for lunch? Of course (see title). A mixture of blocks of text and dialogue balloons carries the action along with verve. A note cites "Drakestail," from a 19th-century French collection, as the story's source. A rib-tickling variant on a tale not often enough retold. (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 1, 2014

PreS-K-When the king "borrows" Duck's prize-winning jelly beans and doesn't return them even after a year has passed, Duck sets off to bring them back. Along the way, he meets his friends Dog, Lady Ladder, Babbling Brook, and the wasps, and they offer to help. Duck suggests they shrink; then he carries Dog and Lady Ladder in his pocket, Brook in his gullet, and the wasps in his ear. Each of them plays a part in his encounter with the king. This fast-moving, simplified version of the French tale "Drakestail" doesn't take itself too seriously. Gerstein's childlike cartoons depict Duck in a tall peasant hat, Ladder with bows and pigtails, and Brook with a watery grin and blue nose. The king is a pudgy boy in jeans, T-shirt, and a crown that looks like a backward-facing baseball cap. In the end, the king apologizes and Duck accepts, because "You can't have too many friends!" This is a lighter-than-air confection, but the playful message will appeal to children, who will enjoy the story's simple sense of fairness and broad good humor.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
Preschool-G In this version of Drakestail, a French fairy tale, Duck farms marshmallows, licorice whips, and jelly beans that are so delicious the king comes to borrow them. After a year passes without their return, Duck vows to recover them: Quack, quack, quack! / Quack, quack, quack! / I'm off to get / my jelly beans back! Along the way, Duck encounters friends (Dog, Lady Ladder, Babbling Brook, and some wasps) who accompany him and thwart the king's attempts to dispose of Duck. Unlike in the original, Gerstein's king survives to replace Duck's jelly beans and befriend everyone. The strength of this retelling lies in its comfortable rhymes and repeated phrases that make story details easy to remember and anticipate. Additionally, the choice of present tense for most of the tale places listeners within the story and makes them part of the action. Gerstein's sunny, cartoon-style illustrations add to this version's upbeat mood, and the use of speech bubbles will help young listeners to distinguish between narration and dialogue. A good choice for reading aloud or encouraging creative dramatics.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)