Margie Palatini

Gritch the Witch, whose first hilarious misadventure was chronicled in Piggie Pie!, returns in Zoom Broom, hungry once again! When her batscotti and eek!spresso fail to satisfy, our witchy (non)heroine decides that nothing but Bunny Bread - made with nice furry little rabbits - will do. Unfortunately (or not, as the case may be), Gritch's broom malfunctions on her way to the Farmer in the Dell's, sending her nose-diving to earth. Determined to get where she wants to go, she sets out to buy a show more new broom at Foxy's, only to find herself stymied by a series of hilarious misunderstandings...

Margie Palatini's trademark sense of humor, more than a little sharp, and absolutely delightful, is very much in evidence here, as is her revisionist take on traditional (and popular) tales. I particularly enjoyed the little tributes to various well known witches, as seen in Gritch's address book (Bea Witch, living in Darrin, CT, for instance), and the giggle-inducing exchanges between witch and fox, with the clever use of the Witch 1 broom (that's what I said, Gritch exclaims in exasperation at one point, I want to know which one!!). Howard Fine's colorfully intense illustrations are as well-suited to this tale, as they were to its predecessor, really emphasizing the frantic fun. All in all, Zoom Broom is a worthy sequel, one that all Margie Palatini fans - as well as any reader who enjoyed Piggie Pie! - will want to take a look at! show less

When Gritch the Witch wakes up one day, she is simply famished, and only Piggie Pie will do! Unfortunately, she has no little pink piggies on hand. Turning (naturally) to the yellow pages, Gritch discovers a listing for Old MacDonald's Farm, and sets off immediately. But her eager "declaration of war" - she writes "Surrender Piggies!" in the sky with her broom - alerts her porcine prey, who turn out to be a little too clever for her...

Piggie Pie! is the second book by Margie Palatini that I show more have tried, following upon her Aesopic adaptation, Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes, and it confirms my initial impression that here is a picture-book author whose sense of humor I can really appreciate! With an exuberantly villainous witch - brilliantly depicted in Howard Fine's pastel illustrations - an amusing turning of the tables by some very smart pigs, and a rather sharp ending involving a Wolf, there is much here to entertain the young reader/listener. The refrain - a reworking of the traditional children's song, Old MacDonald - makes this one an excellent read-aloud selection! show less

This is one of my all time favorite children's books. I purchased this and the sequel, Zoom Broom, many years ago - late 90's. Over the years, Piggie Pie lost a page or two, and Zoom Broom just disappeared, however, I pretty much had memorized Piggie Pie. This was also my two kids' favorite books to have read allowed, even as young adults. One day, my then 18 year old daughter, asked me to read to her. I was caught off guard - but after reading a few stories from Hans Christian Anderson, she show more didn't seem satisfied. Suddenly she ran upstairs to her old room, and ran back down with Piggie Pie. I was slightly bemused. She said - "...and you have to read it with the different voices!" As I was reading it, I suddenly heard my then 21 year old son running down the stairs, excited - jumped on the couch next us, and listened intently, as I read - with a smile on his face. I am ordering some used copies, because my personal library will never be complete with out them. I am also ordering the 3rd book in the series - Broom Mates - hoping it will be just as delightful. show less

Dispatched by a Parisian mademoiselle to her true love, three French hens - Colette, Poulette, and Fifi - find themselves significantly misdirected in this humorous reinterpretation of one of the verses of that favorite holiday carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas. Winding up in the Unclaimed Mail Department of the New York City Post Office, the three fowl ladies decide that, the postal service having failed them, they will deliver themselves, and set off to find their mademoiselle's true show more love. Assuming that "Phil Fox," whom they discover in the phone-book, must be the one (after all, his name is simply a translation of "Philippe Renard"), they present themselves on his doorstep in the Bronx. Will Phil - a down-on-his-luck fox, who hasn't eaten in some time - gobble them down? Or will he discover that sometimes, if you wait, better things come along...?

Margie Palatini has a knack for reinterpreting classic story themes in new and amusing ways, and I have enjoyed her forays into the world of Aesop's fables (Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes), and witchy tales (Piggie Pie!). An amusing, lighthearted romp, Three French Hens is definitely in that same vein, offering a pleasantly revisionist take on a traditional "tale" (in as much as the song can really be considered a tale, rather than a list), while also reflecting the spirit of the season, and its ability to bring people together, against the odds. I particularly liked the revelation about the hens, at the end - very ecumenical! Recommended to Margie Palatini fans, and to all young readers who appreciate humorous holiday tales! show less