Just So Stories: For Little Children

Gr 3–6—The first of two volumes, this book presents six of Kipling's timeless tales, freshly interpreted through superb mixed-media paintings. Consistent stylistic elements, such as the use of texture and muted edges, give the book an elegant overall look, and each story is individualized by its own color scheme and exquisitely delineated setting, adding a delightful sense of discovery. The illustrations for "How the Whale Got His Throat" balance cool maritime greens and blues with sherbet sunset skies; desert scenes for "How the Camel Got His Hump" shimmer with blazing reds and yellows and an almost tangible sand-swept veneer; and images for "The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo" depict an Australian outback that is at once austere and dramatically hued. Softly realistic, the various protagonists radiate personality: "The Elephant's Child" possesses a charmingly stubby nose and wide-eyed innocence; the leopard is sleek and dignified with or without his spots; and the ill-mannered rhinoceros rampages past a Parsee's striped pavilion, brandishing a stolen cake on his horn (never fear, the man will soon work his revenge, leaving the rhino with a loose skin and "a very bad temper"). Throughout, these lovely paintings embrace the nuances of each tale and add to their sense of wonder.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal