The Tale of the Turnip

When a poor farmer grows a gigantic turnip and the king pays him handsomely for it, the envious town squire tries to get an even bigger reward for one of his horses.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-A poor farmer plants a field of turnips, and when one of them grows especially large, he pulls it up (easily) and takes it to the king, who is so impressed that he rewards his subject with a wagon full of gold. The farmer's neighbor, an arrogant squire, decides that if one turnip is worth all that, then his finest horse must be worth much more. However, when the squire presents his gift, the king declares that " not even the crown jewels are a fit reward" for such a creature and gives him instead the champion turnip. Children will find the circularity and poetic justice of the tale pleasing. In a style reminiscent of the old-time picture-book makers like Leslie Brooke and Randolph Caldecott, Wegner packs his watercolor-and-ink drawings with detail. Unfortunately, the small size of the book is at odds with the expansive illustrations. In spite of this, readers will find this tale an agreeable and amusing choice.
Kathleen M. Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MD
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Alderson's (The Swan's Stories) retelling of a traditional English tale is seasoned with casual, homespun phrases from its opening page: "Once, a good time ago, there was an old farmer. He lived in a ramshackle cottage, with a few chickens and suchlike, and he looked after a few fields." When the farmer grows an enormous turnip, he presents it to the thrilled king, who gives the farmer a cartload of gold for the prized crop. The wealthy squire across the way, seeing his neighbor's riches, vows to upstage the farmer. The king, impressed with the squire's gift of his best horse, presents the squire with a cherished treasure: his champion turnip. Wegner's (The Better Brown Stories) cartoon illustrations depict a bustling, leafy English countryside with thatched roofs, plenty of farm animals underfoot and a host of mild, friendly-looking farmers. The final endpapers juxtapose the farmer's modest house, bags of gold stacked out front, with the squire's spacious compound, into which the turnip is being wheeled. Kids will happily root for the farmer in this tale of vegetables and just deserts. Ages 3-7. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When a poor farmer lucks out with a turnip that grows to gigantic proportions, he uses a block and tackle just to yank the huge root from the ground, and takes it to the king. The king is duly impressed and rewards the farmer with a cart load of gold. The local squire becomes jealous of the farmer's good fortune and takes one of his prize horses to the king, with hopes of scoring his own wagonful of gold. The king accepts the horse, and in payment, gives the squire the giant turnip. The highlight of this one-punch story is Wegner's expressive line drawings, in which the characters' changing emotions are aptly captured; his pen takes in every detail of the squire's estate and the farmer's fields. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.