Mr. Semolina-Semolinus : a Greek folktale / retold by Anthony L. Manna and Christodoula Mitakidou ; illustrated by Giselle Potter.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Homer Public Library | J 398.2 MAN (Text) | 000123923 | Children's Library -- Nonfiction | Available | - |
Publishers Weekly Review
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus : A Greek Folktale
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
In this version of a Mediterranean tale, a resourceful and determined king's daughter, Areti, sets out to find a man who is "five times beautiful and ten times kind." PW said, "The child-like quality of the art gives testimony to Areti's power of love and her willingness to follow her destiny." Ages 4-up. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
The Horn Book Review
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus : A Greek Folktale
The Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
I1="BLANK" I2="BLANKFleischman's innovative short novel is the story of an urban garden started by a child and nurtured by people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Each of the thirteen chapters is narrated by a different character, allowing the reader to watch as a community develops out of disconnected lives and previous suspicions. Although the total effect of the brief chapters is slightly superficial, some of the individual narratives are moving. The opening chapter about nine-year-old Kim, a Vietnamese immigrant, is a vivid portrait of a child who longs for the approval of her deceased father. The novel is didactic in purpose-folks of all ages, economic backgrounds, and ethnicities put aside their differences to create a beautiful, rich harvest-but effective in execution. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
School Library Journal Review
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus : A Greek Folktale
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
K-Gr 3ÂThis Greek folktale combines elements of "Pygmalion" and "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon" to celebrate the power of enduring love. After rejecting many suitors, Princess Areti finally stirs up a man out of sugar, almonds, and semolina. Her prayers and God's blessing bring him to life, "five times beautiful and ten times kind." But a wicked queen steals the lovely man away, so the princess searches for him, wearing out three pairs of iron shoes and encountering three wise women who give her magical gifts. The story is not over when Areti finds Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, for she must release him from the queen's spell. The colored-ink and colored-pencil illustrations, executed in a naive, modern folk style, show deliberately disproportional people in modern dress. Muted colors, quirky composition, and the characters' theatrical poses all contribute to a sly, subtle humor that nicely flavors the romantic story line. A general note puts the story in European context, but does not identify a specific source. An unusual addition to folktale picture-book collections.ÂMargaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
BookList Review
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus : A Greek Folktale
Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Ages 6^-9. Finding no suitors appropriately appealing, Areti, a young Greek princess, decides to create the perfect mate herself. From a recipe of almonds, sugar, and semolina, which is both kneaded and prayed over, she makes a man who is "five times beautiful and ten times kind." Even in fairy tales, life is never simple, and Areti's creation is almost immediately kidnapped by an evil queen. The valiant princess wears out three pairs of iron shoes as she searches for her man. With the magic of the mothers of the moon, sun, and stars to help her, Areti comes, by story's end, to live "blissfully but no better," and the evil queen's attempt to cook up a perfect man sours. This engaging tale, told in flowing prose with the charming authenticity of oral tradition, is enhanced by Potter's use of colored ink and pencil. Older readers will relish the understated humor in the text and the way Potter conveys the humor through her illustrations. An excellent choice for reading aloud or for reader's theater. --Karen Morgan
Kirkus Review
Mr. Semolina-Semolinus : A Greek Folktale
Kirkus Reviews
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Told in the fashion of a Greek folktale, this story from newcomers Manna and Mitakidou has neither the steam nor the invention to match the impressive artwork of Potter's debut. The Princess Areti crafts her own suitor from three pounds each of almonds, sugar, and semolina. ``On the fortieth day God brought the man to life,'' dubbed Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, who is ``five times beautiful and ten times kind.'' A dastardly queen from a far-off land hears tell of this special gent and steals him away. Areti embarks on an odyssey to find her beau, powwows with the mothers of the sun, moon, and stars, and receives a nut from each: ``When in need, break it.'' Areti locates Mr. Semolina-Semolinus and deploys the nuts in an effort to capture him back from the wicked queen. As she is about to fail for the third time, the story turns, unsatisfyingly, on a tailor's complaint instead of Areti's own efforts. Threads dangle, and the power of the tale seeps away. The illustrations, with skewed perspectives, eccentric characterizations, superb color sense, and whimsical angles and swoops of line, elevate the tale; readers will be looking for stronger future efforts from these three. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)