The Mightiest (Picture Puffin Books) - Softcover

Kasza, Keiko

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142501859 ISBN 13: 9780142501856

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2003

Synopsis

Is the Bear, the Elephant, or the Lion the mightiest animal in the forest? When the three friends come upon a golden crown that says, "For the Mightiest," they each think that they deserve the title. Just when it looks like they'll argue forever, an old woman comes along, which gives them an idea. They'll have a contest to see who can scare her the most! But their game goes awry when a giant appears to take the crown. The giant is certainly the biggest, but does that make him the mightiest? Or is there someone else even mightier than the giant? Keiko Kasza charms us again with a subtle reminder that no one is mightier than Mom.

About this title

About the Author

Keiko Kasza was born on a small Japanese island in the Inland Sea of Japan. She grew up in a typical Japanese extended family with her parents, two brothers, and grandparents. Uncles, aunts, and cousins also lived nearby. "All the steps I took growing up were very normal," Ms. Kasza says. "The only unusual thing I did was go to college in the United States." She graduated with a degree in graphic design from California State University at Northridge. Ms. Kasza married an American, and the United States has been her home ever since.

After publishing five children's books in Japan and working as a graphic designer for fourteen years, Ms. Kasza decided in 1988 to devote her time to picture books. She says, "Having two small boys and two professions was too much to handle."

Ms. Kasza admires many great picture-book creators, such as Leo Lionni and Maurice Sendak, but says that the work of Arnold Lobel has influenced her the most. The subtle humor and warmth he created in his books continues to inspire me," she says. "I often go back to his work when I get discouraged or lose confidence."

Ms. Kasza compares the process of making a book to acting on stage under the lights:
"I become the character that I'm working on at that moment. I pretend that I'm a bird looking for a mother, or a pig trying to impress his girlfriend. When I'm acting, I'm a child myself."

Ms. Kasza's ambition is not to create a hundred books, but to "create one really good book that will be kept on the family bookshelves for generations, although a hundred really good books would be even better, of course!"

Keiko Kasza lives in Indiana with her husband and two sons.

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly

Kasza's (Dorothy & Mikey) spry, if slight, story introduces three animals a lion, bear and elephant who come across a gold crown sitting on a rock that is chiseled with the words "For the Mightiest." Since all three of them claim to be the most deserving of the crown, Lion suggests that whoever does the best job of scaring a tiny old woman who is walking through the woods will earn the title of the mightiest. One by one they jump out at her, roaring, growling or trumpeting as loudly as they can and each time the frightened woman cries, "Oh my!... You scared the daylights out of me!" Suddenly, an enormous giant appears and announces that the crown should be his, since he is "the mightiest giant in the world." A surprising turn of events prompts the animal trio to crown the old woman the mightiest. But she humbly insists that her calico cap is all that she needs ("The mightiest didn't need a crown after all!"), bringing the tale to a tidy and resonant conclusion. Kasza's simple, playful gouache paintings effectively reinforce the narrative's humor. Ages 2-6.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0142501859
• ISBN 13: 9780142501856
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32