Review by Booklist Review
The familiar folktale The Three Wishes gets new life in this amusing version. Here it is John, a woodcutter, who is given wishes by an elf that he extricates from a thorn bush. Be careful what you wish for, admonishes the elf, but John, who becomes hungry after imagining his prospective riches, unwittingly wishes for some sausages. A string of sizzling, succulent sausages appears, causing his wife, Martha, to wish that the sausages were stuck to the end of John's nose. Wish two. And there's no way out after that. Tugging and pulling and pulling and tugging result in wish three: removing the sausages. Yet despite their lost chances, the couple is happy to be together--and at least they're not hungry with all those sausages. The illustrations--pencil and collages of hand-painted paper--are fresh and simple. They look good against the spacious white backgrounds, and the sparkles of gold that highlight the pages add zest. A short, effective choice for reading aloud. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In this vibrant retelling of the Grimms' The Three Wishes, brilliantly designed paper collages capture every trace of humor in this cautionary tale. In Souhami's version, a woodcutter rescues an elf from a rosebush and is granted three wishes with the accompanying warning, "Be careful what you wish for." Of course, the woodcutter asks for sausages. His wife responds with an angry reply that leaves the sausages stuck on his nose, and, of course, the last wish must be used to remove them. The story begs to be read aloud or told-the language is rich with sound effects ("WH...OOO...SH, out from the chimney shot a string of sizzling, succulent sausages!") and the book's design extends the comic scenes of the couple trying desperately to remove the meat. It's unfortunate that the author felt the need to include the original caution instead of letting children enjoy the tale as it plays itself out. Still, with Margot Zemach's (Farrar, 1986) and Paul Galdone's (McGraw-Hill, 1961) versions out of print, this bright retelling is just what storytellers and storyhour providers would hope for.-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Colorfully homespun John and Martha (he in his blue slippers and held-up-by-suspenders purple pants; she in her floral housedress and red cardigan) sit in front of their fireplace thinking about how best to use the three wishes that a grateful elf has bestowed on them. In this fresh version of the well-known ""The Three Wishes,"" Souhami keeps the tale spare and humorous. She positions the neatly collaged John and Martha against a white backdrop, all attention on their responses to the ridiculous dilemma they find themselves in. Two wishes down, and they have gained only sausages (John's unintended wish) -- and those are stuck to John's nose (Martha's unintended wish). In one comic double-page spread, John and Martha are shown in five different postures, trying unsuccessfully to disengage the sausages from John's nose. On every other page, Souhami speckles the too-many sausages with gold droplets, as if to comment on their worth. All readers, included the many who know the story's denouement, will revel in Souhami's final, zesty portrait of the happy couple toasting their own good fortune: ""We have each other -- and a very good dinner!"" (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
