Fairytale News
Kindergarten-Grade 3–Children who are already familiar with Mother Goose rhymes and common folktales will find great humor in this fractured fairy tale. Mother Hubbard's son Jack delivers theFairytale Newsto help out with the bare cupboards. His first stop is at Honey Cottage, the home of the Three Bears, and then he travels on to Mr. and Mrs. Hood, parents of Red Riding. Jack's story eventually becomes intertwined with the "Jack and the Beanstalk" saga, as he works out a deal with the giant who promises the boy a coin each day if he continues to deliver the paper. Puns abound. Although some entertaining quips may be enjoyed only by adults, such as the "Wax & Wayne" candle shop, young readers will feel clever pointing out references to the many fairy tales and poring over the details in the bright watercolor illustrations. One spread of the village contains the boot-shaped abode of the Old Woman in the Shoe, the Three Little Pigs' brick house, Miss Muffet's tuffet, and more. A loose newspaper is tucked into a colorful blue jeans pocket on the final page, which might make it difficult for libraries to circulate the book. However, even if the newspaper is lost, the story stands on its own.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.