Skip to main content

The Bearskinner: a Tale of the Brothers Grimm

By

THE BEARSKINNER: A TALE OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM; retold (beautifully) by Laura Amy Schlitz (this year's Newbery winner), and illustrated by Max Grafe; Cambridge, MA:
Candlewick, 2007; unpaged.

A soldier back from the wars with no work to do and nowhere to go, meets the devil in a dark wood. Satan offers him an unending supply of gold if he will enter into this bargain: shoot and
kill a bear, skin him, wear the pelt for seven years without praying, washing, cutting his nails, or killing himself, because suicide would deliver his soul to the devil. At first the soldier fares well enough, but as the years wear on, he wishes to die and comes to the brink of throwing himself into a river, but sees a mother and child in need, and discovers a reason to live--giving his gold to feed the poor. Laura Amy Schlitz's retelling is spare and piercing; Max Grafe's pictures are filled with the darkness of evil choices and despair, and the golden light of redemption. Lovely!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

By
If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.
Post a Comment
Read more

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

By loo
Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The New Girl

By
The New Girl By Cassandra Calin New York: Graphix, 2024. Comic. 261 pages. 12-year-old Lia and her family have just moved from Romania to Montreal, and she's doing her best to keep up with the changes. But, she's homesick. She misses the rest of her family, her friends, and her favorite Romanian treats. She doesn't speak French and her English is shaky, which makes it hard to make friends, even in her international immersion class. And she's dealing with super painful menstrual cramps every month. But before long, Lia starts to hit her stride. She befriends the other bilingual girls in her class, she gets a spot as the artist for her school's magazine, and even has a new crush -- Julien. Though she may be the new girl, Lia is starting to fit in. This slice of life graphic novel is an adorable choice for middle grade readers and young teens. Lia is a likable protagonist and readers will have little difficulty relating to her adjustment to school. The text speaks to a...
Post a Comment
Read more