Little Rooster's Diamond Button
Grade 1–3—This version of a Hungarian folktale is perfectly suited to a storytelling performance. A little rooster finds a diamond button, only to have it snatched up by a greedy king. The rooster goes to the palace and demands that it be returned. The monarch tries to get rid of him, but he uses his amazing magic stomach to escape from a well, a fire, and a beehive. Finally he not only wins the button back, but manages to obtain all of the king's treasure as well. The story is simple but amusing and has good cadence and pacing. MacDonald has eliminated all extraneous detail so movement from scene to scene is quick. There is much here to delight listeners, especially when the rooster releases a swarm of bees in the king's baggy pants. Terry's plucky acrylic illustrations heighten the humor. He uses rich, contrasting colors and exaggerated facial features to make the characters and scenes energetically funny. Celia Barker Lottridge's version (Groundwood, 2001) is illustrated by Joanne Fitzgerald with traditional watercolor-and-ink pictures, and the story is told with more embellishment. It is well suited for individual reading, but MacDonald's is better for group sharing.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UTCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.