It’s Not About the Straw! (Easy-to-Read Wonder Tales). Veronika Martenova Charles. Illustrated by David Parkins. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2013. 64 pp., pbk. & EPUB, $7.99 (pbk.). ISBN 978-1-77049-326-1 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-77049-331-5 (EPUB). Subject Heading: Fairy tales. Grades 3-5 / Ages 8-10. Review by Kate Hachborn. *** /4

excerpt:

“Look at all the straw!” said Ben. “If we could turn it into gold, we would be rich!”

“That’s true,” said Jake. “But we’d need that little man to help us, like in the story. And we would have to guess his name.”

“What’s his name?” asked Ben.

“Rum-pel-stilt-skin,” replied Jake.

“I know another story, but the little man has a different name,” said Lily. “And it’s not about the straw.”

“What is it about?” asked Ben.

“I’ll tell you,” replied Lily.

Jake and his friends, Lily and Ben, are visiting Jake’s grandmother’s farm. The straw in the barn leads the three to talk about different tales they know that involve guessing the name of a helpful but self-interested character. Through this narrative, three similar fairy tales are introduced; including “Elf “ (from Germany), “Lady In Green” (from Ireland), and “The Bridge” from Japan. After the story, there is a section titled “About the Stories,” which provides a description of the origins of Rumpelstiltskin and the other versions from It’s Not About the Straw.

     The vocabulary is simple yet presents all of the detail needed to make each story specific to the region from which it comes. The combination of all three stories is short enough to keep a reader’s interest but not so long that the three linked stories become boring With the inclusion of illustrations, the overall format of the book fits well with the series title, “Easy-To-Read Wonder Tales”. Though the original story of Rumpelstiltskin is not explicitly told, educators could enjoy the opportunity for comparison between/among the three stories, with the added bonus of extending to a fourth text. This title would also transfer well into a dramatic interpretation.

Recommended.

Kate Hachborn is a library technician at the W. Ross Macdonald School in Brantford, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - March 15, 2013.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME