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Terri Schmitz
289 Reviews
(2)
YA
Althea's impoverished family's fate rests on her marriage, but there are formidable obstacles. The arrival of handsome Lord Boring and a party of friends from London sets the neighborhood aflutter. As mishaps pile up, Althea blithely meddles in others' romantic affairs while remaining endearingly obtuse about her own. Kindl effortlessly takes on the classic Regency romance in this witty novel.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2012
(3)
4-6
Although her bard father disappeared five years ago, eleven-year-old Trinket has a desire to become a bard herself. She undertakes a perilous journey to find him; each new obstacle provides her with another story. With extensive knowledge of Celtic folklore, professional storyteller Thomas tweaks familiar stories in unexpected ways. Trinket's seven stories form themselves into an intricate and unforgettable Celtic knot.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(3)
K-3
A hungry tiger comes for tea. He eats and drinks (everything), thanks Sophie and her mother politely, and makes his exit. While the tiger looks quite realistic, his little half-smile lets readers know they can relax and enjoy the story. This new edition is larger than the original, but the text and pictures are strong enough to withstand the increase in size.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(3)
K-3
In this revised and expanded edition, Silverstein's economical black-line drawings illustrate the joys of owning a rhinoceros: "He will eat bad report cards before your parents see them." The deadpan text belies the goofiness of the pictures, with the rhinoceros jumping rope, playing pirates, and opening a soda can with his horn. This paper-over-board edition is notable for its bargain price.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Garth Williams.
The pleasant stories and poems in this oversize book are enlivened by Williams's detailed drawings. Some of the illustrations look like they've been computer-enhanced, and not very successfully; most likely the original art was hard to find. It's certainly not Williams's best work, but his elves and fairies are just as magical as they should be.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(3)
K-3
The eleven Aesop's fable retellings in this volume were previously published in Eric Carle's Treasury of Classic Stories for Children, a much larger work that also contained fairy tales and folktales. This new collection, with its brightly colored full-page collage illustrations, is a fine way to introduce children to Aesop and the concept of fables.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(2)
K-3
Translated by Anthea Bell.
Illustrated by
Lisbeth Zwerger.
With her delicate, instantly recognizable style, Zwerger is an acknowledged master at interpreting classic tales. Although she has broadened her palette in recent years, this early work, with its acknowledged debt to Arthur Rackham, is well worth seeking out.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
June, 1982
(1)
K-3
Every day when a boy sets off "along the road to learn," some calamity (e.g., an encounter with a lion, a tidal wave) makes him late for school. His increasingly irritated teacher imposes harsh punishments, but John has the last laugh. Although the story is lighthearted, Burningham makes a serious point about the failures of the educational system.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 1988
(3)
K-3
When the "large and happy" Veronica comes to live on Mr. Pumpkin's farm, the animals, having never before seen a hippopotamus, ignore her. Her friendly overtures rebuffed, Veronica loses her appetite and goes into decline. It's refreshing that when the animals figure out their unkindness is what has made her ill, they realize they're at fault and remedy the situation.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(2)
PS
This lesser-known book by the Emberleys is a bedtime paean to the wonders of night: "Fireflies / Owls / And yellow-eyed cats / All think night's nice / And of course / So do bats." Brilliantly colored spreads show various night scenes, leading to the gentle conclusion that "night's nice for sleeping."
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
February, 1964
(2)
K-3
Maestro Petrini, a mouse, is page turner for the Metropolitan Opera's prompter. When cat Mefisto spots the maestro, a chase nearly ends in disaster; the power of music saves the day. Energetic crayon illustrations bring the opera's bustling backstage world to life. This new edition is slightly larger than the original, and the art seems brighter and clearer.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
April, 1953
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Tomie dePaola.
A boy tells various farm animals what he'd do if he were like them: "If I were a pig, I'd build you a sty. And we'd dig roots and loaf in the mud." At night, he dreams of his animal friends. First published in black and white, this new edition sports a larger trim size and full-color illustrations redone by dePaola.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
February, 1977
(2)
K-3
Translated by Elizabeth D. Crawford.
Illustrated by
Lisbeth Zwerger.
Illustrator Zwerger, with her delicate, instantly recognizable style, is an acknowledged master at interpreting classic tales. Although she has broadened her palette in recent years, this early work, with its acknowledged debt to Arthur Rackham, is well worth seeking out.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
June, 1980
(3)
K-3
I Can Read Book series.
"Of all the players in the little league, Harold was the littlest." Because this is a Syd Hoff book, we can rest assured that in the big game, bespectacled Harold will save the day. Hoff's ability to tell an interesting story with a minimum of words is unsurpassed.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
Leaf, Munro
Brushing Your Teeth Can Be Fun: And Lots of Other Good Ideas for How to Grow Up Healthy, Strong, and Smart
(3)
K-3
Originally published as Health Can Be Fun, this book contains no-nonsense advice that still applies. With plenty of humor, further enlivened by Leaf's stick-figure illustrations, it covers such basics as drinking milk, eating vegetables, and exercising. The brisk tone ("GO TO BED when you should and STOP fussing about it like a two-year-old") may be welcomed by today's harried parents.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Lynn Munsinger.
Kudos to this board book version of Lester and Munsinger's beloved Tacky the Penguin, presented with unaltered art and text.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(2)
K-3
When the fairies play their magic music, benevolent, not-overly-bright giant John can't stop dancing. His mother sends him off into the world to earn money, and he's happy working for a king and queen--until his fairy friends show up. Lobel packs the two-color illustrations with wonderful details. The good humor throughout ensures a satisfyingly happy ending.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1964
(4)
K-3
A cat's world is thrown into disarray by Marshmallow, a baby rabbit. This edition is smaller than the original, the grass-green cover replaced by a more tasteful peach. It's still a handsome book, but the text has been abridged and flattened. Fortunately, all the endearing drawings of cat and rabbit have been retained, and their story will still captivate readers.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2042
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Steven Kellogg.
A girl and her skittish cat learn to trust each other gradually, after several scratching, tail-pulling encounters. In the final scene, the happy girl pets the contented cat: "Oh, cat! I hear your motor." Originally titled Come Here, Cat and printed with two-color illustrations, this book has been reworked by Kellogg, including new full-color pictures.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
June, 1973
(4)
K-3
Pop-ups by David A. Carter. This edition keeps intact the original text. Unfortunately, to fit it all in, there are several spreads of multiple pop-ups with lots of text squashed onto each one. Dr. Seuss's original art is so over-the-top that to have it come popping out seems like overkill. There's no real harm in this version, but also no compelling reason to own it.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
December, 1954
289 reviews
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