Overview
With whimsical illustrations, a feminist fable proves that brains outweigh brawn when three siblings enter a most enlightening competition.
Long, long ago, in the golden, olden days, a farmer devised an ingenious competition to determine who should inherit his farm. Which of his children — Franz, Hans, or Mary — could fill the house with something that cost a mere penny? Did straw do the trick? Were feathers sufficient? Or did it take something a little more creative? Tanya Landman’s retelling of a traditional tale, illustrated with Richard Holland’s stylish artwork, reminds us that sometimes the greatest value can be had for only a penny.
Synopsis
With whimsical illustrations, a feminist fable proves that brains outweigh brawn when three siblings enter a most enlightening competition.
Long, long ago, in the golden, olden days, a farmer devised an ingenious competition to determine who should inherit his farm. Which of his children — Franz, Hans, or Mary — could fill the house with something that cost a mere penny? Did straw do the trick? Were feathers sufficient? Or did it take something a little more creative? Tanya Landman’s retelling of a traditional tale, illustrated with Richard Holland’s stylish artwork, reminds us that sometimes the greatest value can be had for only a penny.
Publishers Weekly
"With your one penny," says a farmer who must judge which of his two sons will run the farm after he's gone, "you must each buy something that will fill the whole house." Landman (The Goldsmith's Daughter) uses an engaging homespun voice to tell the story of Hans, Franz, and their quiet sister, Mary, who, although overlooked by her father ("because this was long, long ago--way back in the golden, olden days" when "everyone thought that girls couldn't run farms"), is the only one to fulfill the request successfully. She buys a candle (which fills the house with light) and makes a reed flute (which fills it with sound), winning her father's praise--and the farm. Holland's (The Museum Book) collaged figures have delicately drawn faces, overalls, and bumpy, oversize shoes (they're photos of real shoes). Blimplike Franz looks as if he is floating as he attempts to maneuver his overflowing horse cart of hay, while solitary Mary has a sideways glance and a Mona Lisa smile. Soft colors and the lightest of lines echo the gossamer touch used to deliver the feminist moral. Ages 5-7. (July)