Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Fearnley, Jan
11 Reviews
(3)
K-3
When her grandmother gives her a hand-knit armadillo (most definitely not the fluffy pink rabbit she requested), Tallulah needs time to warm to it. This tale of acceptance is played just right, from the believable gradualness of Tallulah's coming-around, to the mixed-media art featuring scraps of fabric--a fitting medium for a story about a handcrafted plaything.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
Squashed in the middle, mouse Martha is neither a "big, sensible, grown-up girl" like her sister nor a "cutesy-wootsy little baby" like her brother. A wise frog points out the greatness of middles: the yummy centers of sunflowers (their seeds), watermelons, and peapods. Expressive watercolors and unpreachy text sensitively relate the frustrations and joys of being a middle child.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(4)
K-3
Fido Farnsworth, dog detective extraordinaire, takes on the most difficult task of finding the perfect child, but first he must define perfect. The feel-good ending ("I've found you, and you are the perfect child") is both predictable and saccharine, but cheerful watercolor and ink illustrations show the many humorous possibilities (for example, "The perfect child never complains about taking a bath").
Reviewer: Gail Hedges
(3)
K-3
Billy, a cat, doesn't want his little brother to move into his room, but he discovers sharing can be fun when he and his siblings have a wild bouncing session on his bed. Then the bed breaks and--fair is fair--Billy's reluctant dad must share too, as the children join their parents in bed. Exuberant art accompanies this comical view of family dynamics.
Reviewer: Martha Sibert
(3)
PS
While young mouse Wilf means well, he has a hard time listening to his mother. But just when you're ready to consign this book to the teach-the-kids-a-lesson category, the tables turn, and Mom proves to be less than the best listener. The story is enhanced by its intimate, confiding tone ("Now, Wilf was a good boy") and loose watercolor and ink illustrations in a springtime palette.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
Mr. Wolf intends to throw Baby Bear a dignified birthday party, but Goldilocks storms in uninvited and wreaks havoc--until Grandma Wolf sees a solution to both her own hankering for pie and to everyone's desire to be rid of the ill-mannered girl. The humorous illustrations are well suited to this spry, delectably dark comedy. Recipes for party treats are included.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
K-3
Bear declares the crisp winter day is "perfect for it." He lumbers ("tramp tramp tramp") up the snowy mountain. His animal friends follow, including Badger ("scritchity scratchity") and others who imagine "it" is just right for them. Playful illustrations, which include a cumbersome foldout, picture the woodland friends with bear as he belly sleds down the slope, his intended mission all along.
Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty
(4)
PS
As Little Mouse and his mother walk home one evening, they witness the bedtime rituals of various animals. The parents' devotion causes Little Mouse to repeatedly exclaim how special each baby must be. "Just like you," Mama Mouse says. Warm pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings enhance the gentle tone, however, both text and illustration--reminiscent of McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You--lack originality.
Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale
(2)
K-3
In his foray into pancake making, Mr. Wolf asks so politely for help that you forget his bad reputation and wonder how his neighbors can be such meanies. The pancakes' aroma wafts through the fairy-tale neighborhood, causing the greedy residents to come calling. How does Mr. Wolf handle the situation? Let's just say he didn't acquire his portly figure from a diet of nothing but pancakes. Congenial illustrations accompany this snappy tale.
Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2000
(4)
PS
When a little girl is told that her mommy's "big fat tummy" holds "a special something," she tries to figure out what it is. A big round hippo? A kicking kangaroo? She finally learns what it is when she meets her new baby brother at the hospital. While the premise--that the girl is left to guess rather than being clued in--is improbable, the warmly illustrated story will amuse a young audience with its silly suggestions.
Reviewer: Susan Halperin
(4)
K-3
On the frigid days leading up to Christmas, Robin gives away every one of his cozy vests. Santa rewards this self-sacrificing behavior with a special red vest that will keep Robin forever warm. Rosy-cheeked watercolors uphold the shirt-off-your-back morality of the tale, which overwhelms the underplayed yet more enticing explanation of "how Robin got his red breast."
Reviewer: Mary Burkey
11 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.