Brave Little Tailor

A little tailor, whose claim to fame is swatting seven flies in one blow, wins the hand of a princess and outwits a cave full of giants, a wild boar, the royal guards, and a scheming king.

Kindergarten-Grade 4-- Thomson uses a breezy tone to retell this classic tale of small but clever triumphing over the mighty; it's tailor-made for the young and powerless. She follows the basic Grimm story line, from the purchase of the bit of jam, through tricking the giant into thinking he can squeeze water from a rock, to conquering two giants at once by making them fight with one another, and finally scaring off the king's guards and winning the princess. Thomson's text compares closely with standard translations, but she inexplicably describes two different characters as ``rather stout,'' attempting to glean some gratuitous humor. Jay Williams's Seven at One Blow (Parents, 1972; o.p.) is more succinct, while losing none of the essential flavor. However, it is Warhola's comic watercolors that distinguish this offering from other picture book versions; his oafish giants are the essence of every dumb bully. It's probably time for another presentation of this story, and this one, with its large and colorful format, does the job. --Sally T. Margolis, Park Ridge Public Library, IL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Warhola and Thomson ( The Tinderbox ) collaborate again--this time on the familiar story of the feisty tailor who kills seven flies at one blow and ends up marrying the princess. Thomson's detailed and fluent prose is well supported by Warhola's lively--if somewhat ordinary--full-color and brown-toned paintings. The text does not whitewash the original story, though Warhola is selective about what he chooses to portray, wisely omitting, for example, the tailor's beheading of a unicorn. In the artist's fairy-tale world sparrows look like bluebirds, giants are appropriately hairy and loathsome and the spunky tailor resembles a diminutive Ichabod Crane. The pictures rely on slapstick poses and exaggerated expressions for effect. Although this retelling breaks no new ground, it adequately captures the tale's intent. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.