Christian TrimmerBesprekingen

This reminded me of SHREK the movie because:

1. Obviously it's based on fairy tales, mainly Snow White but there are references to other fairy tales in there as well. Like SHREK, this is trying to tell a modern version of a fairy tale.

2. It's got a lot of jokes for adults that will go over the heads of most kids. For example, the miniature ponies turn their barn into a Mare B & B.

My four-year-old liked it and I found it tolerable. Not quite Cinder Edna, but a nice break from the Disney Snow White Little Golden Book I've had to read every night for a week.

Noah's birthday is coming. He wants a number of gifts but the one he wishes for most is to grow his hair long and thick. Yang's illustrations inclusively depict regular folks in a diverse neighborhood. Backmatter includes questions for conversation starters between parent and child.

This book begins with the old "Saving a Starfish" story, but then expands it outwards - showing how a single act of kindness can inspire other single acts without being overly didactic. Great illustrations as well.

This was just so delightful and I may be a bit biased because I own 3 Siamese cats and know their antics, which are accurately portrayed here. The ending though is where the book really shines and has a great message that parents can use with their own kids. Well done!

An adorable book about a big dog (English Mastiff from the looks of him) anticipating his very first nap in his new bed, only to find it occupied by a (Siamese-looking) little cat. He pouts, he whines, he barks, while the cat...is a cat.

The expressions of the dog make this book, and the dialogue is written and illustrated in a such a way that it's easy to imagine the exact doggy tone that is accompanying it. The book is humourous for kids and likely anyone who has had pets arguing over bed space.

With sweet ponies and giggles sliding constantly into the story, this is a cute retelling of Snow White.

Snow Pony has a coat of white and a mane of black—a beautiful pony. But Queenie, another pony in the stall, is jealous and leads Snow Pony deep into the forest with a trail of apples. But Snow Pony mustn't fear because she runs into a stable with seven miniature ponies, who take her in. Still, Snow Pony has left friends behind and would like to return to her stall.

This is a story to make horse and pony lovers' hearts pitter-patter. There are wonderful ponies on each and every page, and the seven miniature ones are simply fuzzy and sweet. While the original story isn't hard to find in the plot, there are many new elements which make this a refreshing tale with little surprises along the way. What really catches the eye, however, are the goofy comments sprinkled in. The author and illustrator added a spice of humor, keeping the tale very light hearted. These jokes won't only make young listeners smile but also the older, adult readers will chuckle a few times. The last page with the villain's demise does take a slight morbid twist, one that only adults will understand, but the author and illustrator glide it off on the very last page to a nicer, happier ending.

The illustrations are bright, cheerful and add just as much fun as the text itself. Young listeners are sure to enjoy flipping through the tale all on their own and enjoying the cute ponies and their antics again and again.

This is a fun retelling, which packs a lot of humor. Some will enjoy the quirkiness and throw-in statements, others might find them a little much. But pony lovers will find their heart's desire and want to join the stall.

In this horsey retelling of the classic fairy-tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, our equine heroine, Snow Pony, has hair as white as snow and a mane as black as ebony. She also has a sweet disposition and a talent for music and dance, which she puts to use putting on shows with her best friend Charmaine (a young human girl) and Charmaine's dog, Hunter. But when the jealous Queenie lures Snow Pony into the forest with some well-placed apples, and she gets hopelessly lost, it looks like the companions have been parted forever. Snow Pony finds a home with seven miniature ponies, but it isn't quite like being at home...

I was quite excited to pick up Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies, which I read in proof form, as I have greatly enjoyed illustrator Jessie Sima's two previous books, Not Quite Narwhal and Harriet Gets Carried Away. I was also curious to read it because although it is author Christian Trimmer's fourth picture-book, it is the first from him that I have read. As fractured fairy-tales go, it's fairly entertaining, with some clever bits in the text, and the artwork is sweet. All that said, somehow I didn't quite take it to heart as much as I thought I would. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, even if my response was a lukewarm appreciation of it, and I suspect young children who love ponies and/or fairy-tales will enjoy it immensely. It is to them that I would recommend it.