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

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

Willy and Wally were bad boys. Very bad boys! When the two wolves find themselves pursued by some very angry enemies, they decide to disguise themselves as sheep, and "go on the lam." Transforming themselves into Willimina and Wallanda, two of Little Bo Peep's lost sheep, they join the local flock. But a wise old ovine matron named Betty Mutton is soon on to them, and decides to teach them a lesson they won't soon forget...

When I saw this picture-book on the shelf at the local library, this show more past weekend, I was intrigued. I've enjoyed some of Margie Palatini's other send-ups of classic story themes - her exploration of Aesop, in Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes, her take on witches, in Piggie Pie! - and thought her vision of "the big bad wolf" might be amusing. I even thought that Bad Boys, together with its sequels (Bad Boys Get Cookie! and Bad Boys Get Henpecked!), might be in the vein of Daniel Pinkwater's hilarious Bad Bears books. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in this one, and although I picked up on the puns, I simply wasn't as amused as I'd expected to be. Perhaps I expected more of a revision of the "bad" wolf idea, but although Willy and Wally aren't successful in their efforts, they are still up to no good, in the end. Margie Palatini fans might still want to take a look at this one, but I think I'll forgo the sequels. show less