Munschworks 2: The Second Munsch Treasury. Robert Munsch. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko and Helene Desputeaux. Toronto, ON: Annick Press Ltd., 1999. 132 pp., cloth, $24.95. ISBN 1-55037-553-9. Subject Heading: Children's stories, Canadian (English). Preschool - grade 3 / Ages 4 - 8. Review by Dave Jenkinson. **** /4

Following the pattern of the first Munschworks, the second collection contains five previously published Munsch authored titles, with this quintet having been originally published between 1982 and 1992. Four of the titles were illustrated by Munsch's principal illustrator, Michael Martchenko: Pigs, Mortimer, Murmel, Murmel, Murmel and Something Good. Sandwiched in between is Purple, Green and Yellow which was illustrated by Helene Desputeaux. As before, the stories' texts remain essentially unchanged, with the only differences being in paragraphing and the conversion of arabic numerals into words. Paragraphing now follows the standard convention of a new speaker requiring a new paragraph. The rationale for the number conversion is unclear, especially when, in Something Good, both "twenty-nine ninety-five" and $29.95 can be found. The principal illustrations remain the same although both Something Good and Purple, Green and Yellow contain small character images on some of the text pages. As was noted in the review of Munschworks: The First Munsch Collection, the colours of many of the illustrations, when compared with the original 8"x 8" versions, appear washed out. Unfortunately, the coloured initial letters which were found in the text pages of Purple, Green and Yellow and which added to the "colour" fun of the story have been deleted. Nevertheless, the collection's larger 10" x 10" size makes the illustrations more visible during story times, and the volume's price makes it an excellent buy, especially for newer libraries which do not own the individual titles.

Highly recommended.

Dave Jenkinson teaches children's and adolescent literature courses in the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba.

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

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ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - October 20, 2000.

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