Curse in Reverse - Hardcover

Coppinger, Tom

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689830963 ISBN 13: 9780689830969

Publisher: Atheneum, 2003

Synopsis

Opening their home to an old witch who is in need of shelter, a kind and compassionate couple, who long for a child of their own, is rewarded with "The Curse of the One-Armed Man," which leads to a magical surprise!

About this title

About the Author

Tom Coppinger has been entranced by Celtic fairy tales and tales by the Brothers Grimm ever since he was a child. He lives with his wife and two sons in County Kildare, Ireland. This is his picture book debut.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Agnezza the Witch comes to the town of Humburg on a cold winter night looking for shelter. She is turned away first by an innkeeper and then by a wealthy landowner, and she curses each of them as she leaves. She is then welcomed in by a poor couple who feed her and even give her their own bed for the night. To their surprise, they, too, receive a curse upon her departure. They watch in horror as the other two curses are fulfilled, and their lives are filled with fear and trepidation as they anticipate their turn. When Agnezza returns, she explains that their curse was "a curse in reverse," and that if they look at the changes in their lives, they will see that they have actually received a blessing. The plot is thin and predictable, and the attempts at humor are strained. The theme of kindness rewarded is handled far more effectively in many other stories, including Joanna Cole's Bony-Legs (S & S, 1984), also illustrated by Zimmer. In Curse, the artist's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are stylistically reminiscent of Edward Gorey's work in their settings and landscapes, although the people are cartoonlike. An additional purchase for large collections.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

PreS-Gr. 2. After a long journey, the witch Agnezza seeks shelter in a snowy forest village. The first two doors she tries belong to wealthy misers who send her away with insults. In return, Agnezza delivers a curse (and a sizable gob of spit) at each doorstep. Then a childless couple, the Tretters, offer her dinner and their only bed for the night. When Agnezza returns their kindness with the "Curse of the one-armed man," they are naturally puzzled. Later, Mrs. Tretter gives birth, and as Mr. Tretter carries out his household chores with his one free arm, baby on hip, the couple realizes the hidden gift in Agnezza's spell. In his picture-book debut, Coppinger borrows many familiar folktale elements and fashions them into a humorous story filled with gleeful surprises. He writes with lively dramatic language that is just right for read-alouds, while Zimmer's textured ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture the humor and farce in the delightfully off-kilter winter scenes and visages of the motley villagers. A good, light choice for enlivening a winter story hour. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689830963
• ISBN 13: 9780689830969
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Zimmer Dirk
• Number of pages: 40