Give and Take

by Chris Raschka, Chris Raschka (Illustrator)

Overview

A clever story of greed and goodness, and the art of finding the in-between, from two-time Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka, creator of the New York Times bestselling A Ball for Daisy.

Watch the farmer’s ear.

Now watch the two small, clever fellows in pointy hats whispering into it, first one, then the other.

Give and Take. They cannot agree.

Listen now to the farmer talk back—and, in this story of apples, pumpkins, pigs, and a final surprise, he just might get the better of both of them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442416550
Publisher:	Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Publication date:	08/26/2014
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Chris Raschka is the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes?; Charlie Parker Played Be Bop; Mysterious Thelonious; John Coltrane’s Giant Steps; Can’t Sleep; In the City; and The Magic Flute. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

…an original folk tale featuring a gullible farmer and two elflike mischief makers. The story's old-timey feel is perfectly captured in [Raschka's] simple watercolor illustrations, with their rough, extra-thick black lines and limited red, green, orange and yellow palette. The book's clever bluntness and friskiness should win over children, but it may also strike a nerve with parents. It taps right into our present anxiety over ever-growing inequality and the lopsided distribution of the world's resources. This little story makes you think hard about the double-sided question, How much is enough for one person, and when we have more than what we need, how much of our bounty should we give away?

The New York Times - Maria Russo

★ 05/19/2014
Two strong-willed elves harry a farmer in this pitch-perfect folktale by Caldecott Medalist Raschka. While harvesting apples, the farmer meets Take, “a tiny little man” dressed in black. The farmer heeds Take’s advice to “take as much as we can,” trades all his apples for pumpkins, and ends up with “gallons of pumpkin soup.” The next day, he sends Take away and meets Give, another Rumpelstiltskin lookalike dressed all in white. “Give away everything you have,” Give orders. Unfortunately, once the farmer dispenses with his opinions and his apples, he goes home alone and hungry. On the third day, the man balances Give and Take’s input, resulting in an apple pie for all to share. Raschka illustrates in wide strokes and swoops of India ink, daubed with jewel-toned watercolors, for a rustic, handcrafted feel. Give and Take recall a classic angel-and-devil duo (or Spy vs. Spy), but neither is all good or bad. This isn’t a flashy story, but one whose wisdom flows naturally from a well-structured setup amid dashes of visual and verbal humor. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2014-05-28
Imagine Rumpelstiltskin with an equally imperious twin, and you’d approximate Take and Give, a tiny pair who bedevil a farmer with conflicting advice.Borrowing motifs and pacing from traditional folklore, Raschka introduces a mild man intent on harvesting apples. First Take emerges, promising a “finer” life. When a neighbor woman offers the farmer some of her pumpkins, Take urges, “Take them. Take all of them. Take as many as you see.” Hauling a voluminous load of pumpkins, the farmer trudges all day at Take’s pointless urging to “take a hike.” Returning home to make the pumpkin soup the neighbor had suggested, the exhausted fellow realizes that he and his dog both dislike it. Next morning, having banished Take, the farmer picks a second tree, only to be visited by Give, who promises a “sweeter” life. Give similarly beleaguers the farmer, making him relinquish all his apples to a pig farmer. The third harvest day, the tiny duo’s argumentative wrestling sparks new ideas for the farmer. He gives the miller apples and takes some flour, and soon, a happy ending (and a lovely pie) is shared by all. Raschka’s customary thick, dry, brushy black shapes and contours dominate a rather somber palette of gray, red, teal and orange. This marriage of a well-told, folklore-reminiscent tale, dynamic line and muted palette evoke the 1950s-era work of Paul Galdone and Nicolas Mordvinoff.Inventive as ever. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews