Scarlette Beane (Picture Puffins) - Softcover

Wallace, Karen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142300918 ISBN 13: 9780142300916

Publisher: Puffin, 2002

Synopsis

Having been born with a bright red face and green fingertips, her parents know that there is something unique about their daughter, Scarlette, and so aren't too surprised when magical things start to happen in their vegetable garden. Reprint.

About this title

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-When Scarlette Beane is born, her face is as red as a beet, and the ends of her fingers are green. Her parents are convinced she will grow up to do something wonderful. Since there isn't much room in their small house, the family spends most of its time outdoors in the garden. On Scarlette's fifth birthday, she receives a garden of her very own, complete with a set of tools and a wooden fence. Overnight, her carrots, onions, and parsley grow to an enormous size, and her family invites the whole town over for soup. Then Scarlette sets her sights on something bigger; she grows a huge castle made of vegetables. Berkeley's cartoonlike acrylic illustrations done in earthy hues on textured paper capture the wonder of this gentle fairy tale and bring to life such details as the cucumber towers and turnip turrets of the castle. Indeed, the most fascinating aspect of the book is the detail, from the forklift used to carry the enormous onions, to the concrete mixer Mrs. Beane uses to make soup, to the green sparkles at the end of the child's fingers when the vegetables grow. Pair this vegetarian's delight with David Wiesner's June 29, 1999 (Clarion, 1992) or any version of the giant turnip for a storytime of amazing proportions.
Kathleen M. Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

So joyous is most of this tale from Wallace that it all but subverts the act of magic serving as the climax. Scarlette Beane is a born gardener, not just with a green thumb, but with green fingers as well. She lives in a small home with her parents, ``so they worked outside as much as they could.'' They are also avid gardeners, too; the days are clear and they are a supremely merry lot. Scarlette is given a garden when she turns five, and proceeds to grow colossal vegetables that have to be individually harvested with machines. Everyone in the village comes to help, and then to eat the soup made from the bounty. They must eat outside because the house is too small, but no one minds such a glorious picnic, even when it rains. That night, Scarlette creeps out of bed to a high meadow and plants a bunch of seeds in a hole. The next day, a castle of vegetables rises from the meadow: ``Mrs. Beane kissed her daughter's face. `I knew you'd do something wonderful,' she whispered.'' Since their small house has suited them so beautifully, this ending has the feel of gilding the lily. Thickly painted, expressively modeled artwork adds to the atmosphere of green and growing miracles. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0142300918
• ISBN 13: 9780142300916
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Berkeley Jon