The Missing Tarts - Hardcover

B.G. Hennessy grew up in Wantagh on Long Island, NY. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, she majored in fine art and learned how to design, print and bind handmade books. She also took courses in Children’s Literature. The combination of form and content in the picture book format fascinated her and after graduation she headed for NYC where she worked for 17 years in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. She is the author of Road Builders and The First Night, as well as many books starring Corduroy, the loveable toy bear created by Don Freeman. She now lives with her family in Arizona.

PreSchool-Grade 2-- The Queen of Hearts has made some tarts, and, naturally, the Knave of Hearts has stolen them away. But, in this spirited variation of the traditional nursery rhyme, the Knave does not come swiftly to justice. Rather, the Queen calls for help and a number of Mother Goose characters, including Old King Cole, Mother Hubbard, and Little Jack Horner, come to her aid. When the stolen tarts are finally found, the cast discovers that the Knave has given them all away to the hungry children of the Old Woman in the Shoe. The naughty Knave is then rewarded by the Queen with a kiss. Hennessy's upbeat adaptation of the original nursery rhyme will undoubtedly be popular with the modern picture book audience. The mention of almost a dozen nursery characters serves as a nice introduction to other rhymes, but children already familiar with such nursery companions as Jack Sprat and Jack and Jill will delight in the visual interpretations of their stories. Pearson's well-known line and wash illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Hennessy's tale. The colorful paintings burst with energy and cry to be pored over. Humorous touches such as the avalanche of bones from Mother Hubbard's cupboard will charm readers, who will also love searching for the scattered strawberries that lead the way to the Old Woman's shoe. A true gem, The Missing Tarts will be an apt storyhour companion to the Ahlberg's Each Peach Pear Plum (Viking, 1979). --Jeanne Marie Clancy, Wolfsohn Memorial Library, King of Prussia, Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.