Synopsis
The Caldecott Medalist retells the ancient Chinese tale of a father mouse's travels to the end of the earth to find the perfect husband for his beloved daughter in twenty-six accordion-fold panels.
Reviews
PreSchool-Grade 3. Young presents a Chinese variant of the "Mouse Bride" tale to demonstrate the importance of recognizing the value of what is in one's own backyard. He uses heavy paper to create an accordion-fold format, and the first page is attached to the front board. One side of the story is told in white ink with black, cut-paper mice scurrying over a collage background of golds, browns, and reds. Watercolors and pastels, and the resulting wrinkles and bumps, add interest. When the father learns that it is the tiny mouse, with his ability to cause the mountain to crumble, that is the mightiest, and the daughter hears the news, the pages explode into glorious magenta. The reverse side of the foldout has a telling of the story in Chinese characters. When folded, the book is tied with raffia, although it will stay together when the raffia wears out. The story would be most effective displayed and told on a very long shelf or table. Young has considered the linear quality of the quest in his design, making viewing at a slight distance the optimal way to experience his creation. On the wedding day, the mice understand that "when they had a question, they knew that to find an answer they had not only to look?but also to see." Everything about Young's retelling works together to convey the joy of recognition.?Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The mouse-parents of a cherished mouse-daughter seek the greatest and most powerful suitor for her; the sun begs off, for it humbly admits it can be eclipsed by a cloud. Each potential groom is just as honest: The cloud can be blown by the wind; the wind can be blocked by a mountain; the mountain can be nibbled to crumbs--by mice. Young (Genesis, p. 148, etc.) illustrates the story in an unconventional application of colors combined with a collage technique, featuring choices such as the lined green paper for the leaf of what looks like an iris plant. The mice are left in silhouette, but humor and personality are conveyed in their shapes and postures. The most unusual aspect of the story is its accordian format: A strip of heavy, coated cardboard has been folded into the picture-book format. Every turn of a fold brings readers to a discernible spread, but every spread blends into the next: The result is that the entire story can be unfolded into one long continuum. On the reverse side, in white calligraphy on a black background, the story appears in Chinese. It's a polished, effective presentation, for lap-sharing or story hours, and evidence that Young continuously redefines his role as a picture-book creator. (Picture book/folklore. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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