Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales

Bibliography:
Cousins, Lucy. 2009. YUMMY: EIGHT FAVORITE FAIRY TALES. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0763644749

Plot Summary:
Several popular children's fairy tales are recounted by Cousins in this picture book anthology. The tales range from well-known, like "Little Red Riding Hood" to some that are less known to children in the states, like "The Musicians of Bremen". Using the classic tales, Cousins puts her own twist in some tales, like changing names or actions, while keeping the integrity of the root version. The reader of this title will find themselves being taken through a more modern version "Goldilocks" right into the nearly word-for-word recounting of "The Little Red Hen".

Critical Analysis:
While the stories are (or could be) familiar to a reader, the way in which Cousins uses her illustrations give even the most recognizable characters and stories new life. Pictures are bold, and though they are not intricate they emphasize and underscore the story for the young reader. The tales are simple to follow, with a clear emphasis on morals to be learned from the story. No moral is more explicit than that of "The Little Red Hen": no one wanted to help the Hen, so no one gets to enjoy the fruit of all her labor, save her!

What is important to note is the severity and brusqueness of some of the illustrations, which may be too much for a very young reader. Little Red Riding Hood's feet are dangling out of the wolf's mouth and the woodsman chops the wolf's head clean off in that story. However, the illustrations look like a child could have done them, which may help a child to identify and understand a story on a different level. Additionally, the text is repetitive, making it conducive for a young reader, just learning.

Awards and Reviews:
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Booklist Editors' Choice
New York Times Book Review 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books
New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year

"Though Cousins uses simple language to tell the stories to a younger audience, she manages to convey the wit and wonder of these tales with an admirable economy of language. Her illustrations fill the page with strong lines, vivid colors, and significant events that bring the story to spine-tingling life." - Keri Collins Lewis, Children's Literature

"Beloved classics are successfully served by these bold, striking renditions. Large, arresting gouache spreads in Cousin's signature style utilize saturated colors and thick, dark outlines against solid backgrounds. Expressive characters enhance the stories' shifting moods. Large type accentuates the dynamic texts, building each spare entry to its powerful climax." - Meg Smith, School Library Journal

Connections:
*Have your kids find a fairy tale they are fond of and recreate their own version! Ask them to draw their own pictures, change around characters or make the story their own. Have them tell their version to the class and ask why they may have made the changes they did.
*Read different versions of each of the stories, maybe from different countries. Compare the works, making a list as the children tell you what they think the differences are. Use the same idea to make a list of the similarities.

Book Jacket found on: http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?mode=book&isbn=0763644749&browse=Title