McClintock, Barbara. 2001. MOLLY AND THE MAGIC WISHBONE. New York: Francis Foster Books. ISBN 0-374-34999-1Molly is the eldest of five kittens. Because Mama is ill, she is given the task of buying the day’s fish. In this nearly didactic story, an unsuspecting Molly meets her Fairy Godmother and learns of a magic wishbone she will find. Molly must ultimately consider what is most important: her dreams or her family.
The plot reflects an unsurprising situation in which a child is warned to “use your wish wisely.” This standard save-your-wishes-for-what’s-really-important theme opens up opportunities for discussions of “…and what would you wish for?” during read alouds. When reading this story with my daughter, she immediately responded, “She’s going to wish for her mother to get better!” Imagine her surprise when the children began talking about toys, dresses, and candies. These egotistical wishes lend validity to the voice of the children. Though the speech is a bit formal for kittens—using proper syntax and vocabulary—it is both accessible and clear. With voice as but one of the elements, the characters are developed into believable children. Along with voice, McClintock provides situational authenticity. Many children are responsible for younger siblings and must be self-sufficient. Molly tends to a pet rabbit, glues a bowl together, and puts the little ones to bed. So as not to portray Molly on too high of a horse, she also loses her temper when interrupted. Each of these behaviors are both typical and believable. Finally, the illustrations demonstrate McClintock’s familiar painterly techniques. The Victorian setting is extremely detailed, though not much is gained from the pictures which is not already clear from the text. The requisite symbiotic relationship between text and pictures is not evident in MOLLY AND THE MAGIC WISHBONE. Recommended for readers ages 6-10 years in order to initiate a discussion of wants versus needs or to appreciate McClintock’s artistic abilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment