Perfect Pancakes If You Please - Hardcover

William Wise lives in New York City.

PreSchool-Grade 3. An original folktale that's an interesting mix of the old and the new. Old is the plot device of the king promising his daughter to the man who can accomplish a particular task (in this case, the one who can make a stack of perfect pancakes); and new is how some of the characters react to this situation, especially the princess herself, who has her own ideas about who she'll marry. There's also a handsome young scientist, Roderick, and a great villain, "Maximilian, the Evil Inventor," with a "long white beard, mean yellowish eyes, and a nose that twitched with mischief." By combining elements from "The Magic Porridge Pot" with "Rumpelstiltskin," Wise has created a lively and absorbing story. The straightforward text makes a great foil for Egielski's humorous watercolors. The pictures mix medieval elements with touches of the Orient. King Felix himself resembles a very large and very self-absorbed sultan. In fact, characterizations, especially facial expressions, are where Egielski excels. If there can be such a thing as understated exaggeration, he's done it perfectly. His sly comic tone is priceless. Words and pictures combine to make this a great read-aloud or read-alone.?Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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