Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One (Picture Puffins)
Aunt Isabel is delighted to have her niece Penelope spend the night, and a made-to-order story is part of the package. Asking for guidance from Penelope along the way, Isabel weaves a story of a handsome prince and the enigmatic Lady Nell who can "fiddle like a cricket, sing like a dove and wiggle her ears." Isabel may ask for help, but she is clearly in charge here, insisting on "a little Danger" and "Villains" to flesh out her tale. No passive heroine awaiting the prince's marriage proposal, Nell tackles adversity in fine fashion. In a stylistic departure for the gifted artist ( The Guinea Pig ABC ; Roseberry's Great Escape ), fanciful mice--somewhat reminiscent of Helen Craig's illustrations for the Angelina books--take the spotlight here, and the delicate watercolors brim with fairy-tale characters and atmosphere. Especially appealing are the artwork's winsome borders, adorned with tiny, appropriate decorative touches--sandwiches in the frame's corners when Nell is following a trail of crumbs, for example. Though the running conversation between narrator and Penelope at times detracts from the action, the diverting story-within-a-story is an inviting opportunity for youngsters to double their fun. Ages 4-7.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.