Life's Little Fable (Picture Books)
Grade 2-4-An adult writer does not a children's author make, as proven once again by this confusing, lifeless story. Jarrod lives in an alternative place where there is no gravity, which Cornwell describes in the following manner: "But sunlight did not make dark places called shadows in the land of the pond, and children could climb trees all day long and never fall from branch or frond." The boy nearly falls prey to his inquisitive nature and the "god of the pond," an evil crocodile that tries to tempt him into the water. Wearing "shorts made of tiger hide," he fights off the beast, somehow making his world a safe place to live. Cornwell's awkwardly stated sentences, which often attempt to rhyme, deter a smooth flow, and Gibson's pedestrian illustrations, while delivering some nice wildlife images, are generally unimaginative. This little fable falls flat.Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WICopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.