Jack, Skinny Bones, and the Golden Pancakes - Hardcover

Helldorfer, M. C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670860069 ISBN 13: 9780670860067

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 1996

Synopsis

Resourceful orphan boy Jack and his faithful dog Skinny Bones confront the town's wiliest villains in sly old Granny Trick and the devil himself, whom he foils with his special pancake recipe.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Rip-roaring illustrations and tangy narration distinguish this tall tale, set in a desert town called Prickly Pear. Jack, a scowling orphan, and Skinny Bones, his scrawny yellow dog, work for the conniving Granny Trick. Granny sells "Gold Dust," a bogus cold remedy made of hot-mustard powder; Jack, "an honest boy," specializes in cooking golden pancakes. One day, as Granny chides Jack and Skinny Bones ("The devil take you!"), the devil arrives wearing a slim black suit, thin red tie and shoes as pointy as his nose. After tasting Jack's pancakes, he bargains with Granny for the boy and dog. But Jack outwits both Granny and the devil, thanks to some "extra-golden" pancakes made with hot mustard. Primavera's (Woe Is Moe) dynamic spreads heighten the suspense; muddy gray shadows accented with yellow and red suggest a sort of purgatory, and drought-dry pigments, scattered across the spreads, look to be blown by a hot breeze or a hot-mustard sneeze. Some readers may need to be warned that the word "hell" figures here, though never as a curse; it shouldn't distract from the feisty, folksy tale and artwork. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?The familiar and the new combine in this comic tale of innocence triumphing over wickedness, while the Southwestern setting adds spice to the mix. When Skinny Bones, a kindhearted dog, finds Jack, an abandoned baby, he takes him home to Granny Trick's house. Granny ("...a sneaky old woman and hot-tempered as a pepper") teaches Jack all her tricks, which help him out when the devil comes to call. This original tall tale calls on a variety of literary traditions; it's a fast-moving, involving story that children will love. Anyone with the right type of dramatic flair will have great fun reading it aloud. Helldorfer has a gift for this type of story and this type of imagery (when Skinny Bones finds Jack in the desert, instead of tears he's crying "big balls of dust.") And Primavera's lively pictures, done with gouache, gesso, and pastels, are a perfect match. They add atmosphere, character, and a generous dollop of humor (her devil has a goatee, a Pinocchio nose, and a well-tailored suit). Overall, a winning effort that won't sit on the shelves.?Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0670860069
• ISBN 13: 9780670860067
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32