My Friend, the Starfinder (review)

Mitchell's retelling of the classic Andersen tale sticks pretty close to its original, except for some elaboration of the mother's defense of her "duckling": "He may not be pretty, but he has a very good heart. He's kind and considerate, and that's worth at least as much as good looks." Other than that line, Mitchell's retelling is refreshingly free of external moralizing, and his version of the animals' dialogue is eloquent yet entertainingly conversational. It's the illustrations that are on display here, however, and Johnson and Fancher's mixed-media art will engage viewers with its elegant and unusual collage patterning. Kids familiar with doing crayon rubbings and adults who fondly remember the old "Fashion Plates" toy will be especially intrigued by the underlying textures here: the baby cygnet's feathers look like bits of lace cobbled together, while thumbprint-type patterns render the downy feathers of his duckling siblings surprisingly fluffy. While the use of pattern is occasionally a bit overwhelming, especially in some of the larger spreads, the intricate texturing is nicely balanced by the measured stillness and solidity of the figures and backgrounds. The dreamy blues and greens of water, sky, and vegetation are attractively complemented by the warm browns and yellows of the mallards and the other flora and fauna in the scenes. The ugly duckling himself, while occasionally a bit cuter than he should be, is different enough in appearance from the other birds to make his ostracism fairly believable. Use this to spark a discussion about judging by outward appearance, or pair it with Pinkney's version (BCCB 3/99) for a comparison of illustrative styles.