Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (1914–2000)

American author/illustrator team Beatrice Schenk de Regniers and Edward Gorey retell the classic fairy-tale from the Brothers Grimm in this picture book from 1972. The rhyming text—two stanzas per page—follows Red Riding Hood as she is dispatched to visit her sick grandmother, encounters the wolf in the forest, stops to pick flowers at his suggestion, and then finally comes to her elderly relative's cottage, now inhabited by her lupine enemy. Consumed herself, our little heroine and her show more grandmother are rescued by a hunter, and the wolf punished...

Having grown up absolutely adoring another fairy-tale illustrated by Gorey, in the form of Edith Tarcov's retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, I have long meant to seek out this title, convinced that it too would become a favorite. Unfortunately, despite my high rating, that is not to be. I enjoyed the artwork here greatly—one has but to see Gorey's illustrations to recognize them—and appreciated the vivid red accents, so appropriate for this specific story. That said, while the telling here is faithful to the original, the text itself left me cold. Somehow, I just can't warm to de Regniers' verse, which I find awkward and frustrating. My favorite book from her, textually, is her David and Goliath, which is told in prose. I'm glad to have read this one, and I didn't despise the text, but without the artwork this would have been a three-star title for me. Recommended primarily to Edward Gorey fans. Those seeking picture book versions of this tale can do far better, from a textual and storytelling perspective. show less

Four skilled children's book editors, nine Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators and sixty-one authors—some world famous and some more obscure—come together in this wonderful anthology of poetry for children. The 128 poems presented here are divided into nine thematic sections, each illustrated by a different artist: Fun With Rhymes illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman / Mostly Weather illustrated by Marcia Brown / Spooky Poems illustrated by Margot Zemach / Story Poems illustrated by show more Maurice Sendak / Mostly Animals illustrated by Arnold Lobel / Mostly People illustrated by Marc Simont / Mostly Nonsense illustrated by Richard Egielski / Seeing, Feeling, Thinking illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon / In a Few Word illustrated by Marcia Brown. The poems themselves vary in structure, subject matter and length. There are haikus from such masters as Issa and Buson, and longer story poems like The Jumblies from Edward Lear. There are authors who are most famous in the world of adult letters—Robert Frost, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Langston Hughes—and others known for their children's poetry—Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky. The book closes with an index of titles, an index of first lines, an index of authors, and a series of brief biographical notes about the illustrators...

Published in 1988, Sing a Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems is an expansion of an earlier anthology, Poems Children Will Sit Still for: A Selection for the Primary Grades, which was published in 1969, and which contained 106 poems. That earlier collection was edited by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, Eva Moore and Mary Michaels White, who were the staff of Scholastic's "Lucky Book Club," a paperback book program for grade schoolers, and it was designed for use by teachers in the classroom. Jan Carr came on as a fourth editor in the 1980s, working with Eva Moore to add additional poems for this expanded version, and commissioning artwork from the nine Caldecott medalists. Sing a Song of Popcorn wasn't just an expansion of the content and presentation of the original however, but was also envisioned as a title for an expanded audience. It would still be presented as an anthology for use in the classroom, but would also be aimed at individual children and their families, for enjoyment at home, in the personal and family circle. I think it would work admirably in both contexts, with its mix of poems and illustrative styles. I enjoy the work of all of these artists—Trina Schart Hyman and Margot Zemach are particular favorites—and I enjoyed seeing how their different styles matched up with the different themes. Although I read many, many children's books, I don't read enough poetry, so this was a welcome diversion, and I particularly enjoyed reading the selections aloud, as recommended by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers in her introduction. Recommended to anyone looking for a good general poetry anthology, one with a mix of styles and themes, for younger children. show less

American author Beatrice Schenk de Regniers and Swiss illustrator Anne Wilsdorf team up in this poetic retelling of the traditional Cornish folktale of Jack the Giant Killer, in which a fearsome giant begins to raid the coast of Cornwall, until his depredations are stopped by young Jack. The folktale itself is told quickly, while the rest of the book is given over to traditional sayings and beliefs about giants, as well as some advice on how to shake hands with these massive show more beings...

Published in 1987, Jack the Giant Killer: Jack's First & Finest Adventure Retold in Verse was the second collaboration between this author and illustrator, following upon their 1985 Jack and the Beanstalk Retold in Verse. I found it interesting, but confess to enjoying the section with the various sayings about giants more than the retelling of the actual tale, perhaps because de Regniers' poetic text didn't really speak to me. The illustrations from Wilsdorf were appealing, with a real sense of humor that I enjoyed. I've been meaning to track down her own picture book (about a witch, of course), Philomene, so perhaps this will spur me on. In any case, while I'm glad to have read this one, I would recommend it primarily to those who enjoy giant lore, rather than readers looking for a particularly outstanding retelling of this tale. show less

Laugh-out-loud funny story about a friend of the King and Queen who brings an unusual "friend" with him to tea, to lunch, to dinner. There's lots of repetition for the younger reader. Delightful.