Brian Alderson

Brian Alderson, whose many projects in the field of folklore include his work on editing Andrew Lang's color fairy books, here turns his attention to the traditional English tale about a humble farmer and his massive turnip. The old farmer knows that such a champion turnip should go to the king, and he is handsomely rewarded for his decision, causing the arrogant (and envious) squire who lives next door to make his own gift to the king - with hilarious results...

The story of two neighbors, show more each of whom gets their just deserts, The Tale of the Turnip is simply told, and suitable for younger children. It is accompanied by Fritz Wegner's delightful illustrations, in which the highly expressive faces of both man and beast wonderfully convey the humor of the situation. show less

Thumbelina, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.

Brian Alderson, the British children's author and critic, whose many folkloric projects have included the editing of Andrew Lang's color fairy books, as well as a collection of Hans Christian Andersen's tales (The Swan's Stories), here turns his attention to the classic story of a tiny girl, no bigger than a thumb. The trials and tribulations of Thumbelina (Tommelise in the original Danish) - kidnapped by toads, set adrift on a river, seized by show more maybugs, almost forced to marry a pompous old mole - are all here, as is the appropriately happy ending.

Although my loyalties lie with other Thumbelinas, I was pleased to see this new edition, with lovely gouache and watercolor illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline, whose artwork has graced books such as Kate DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. His Thumbelina can look quite put out, as in the scene in which she is surrounded by the maybugs, or startled and alarmed, and her expressive little face adds great interest to this retelling. This is definitely one that fairy-tale fans - particularly those interested in Andersen - will want to examine! show less

A poor farmer living near the obnoxiously rich squire grows a giant turnip, and presents it to the king.

This picture book is blessedly short while still conveying a satisfying tale of comeuppance. One highlight is the farmer's use of an accurately illustrated block-and-tackle to excavate the turnip, so the story could fit in well with a class learning about simple machines. A good read-aloud, or read-along, for early elementary students.

I used this biography when doing an author/illustrator study on Ezra Jack Keats. This book gave me almost everything I needed to know. It contains a comprehensive biography of Ezra Jack Keats, including some of Keats' earliest and least-known paintings, as well as analyses of Keats' work. The biography section was particularly interesting because it had many quotations from Ezra Jack Keats and his friends. Reading Ezra Jack Keats' own expressions and ideas gave me a better understanding of show more Keats' motivations. The analyses were also very useful and I learned a great deal about artistic techniques like collage and paper marbling. This book would work for middle or high school students, depending on which areas the students focused on. High school students might find the analyses of art easier to understand than middle school students would. show less