Little Rooster's Diamond Button

by Margaret Read MacDonald (Retold by), Will Terry (Illustrator)

Overview

Little Rooster is happy to find a diamond button—it's a perfect present for his mistress. Then along comes the King, who snatches the button for his treasure chamber! And when Little Rooster demands the button back, the King is so furious he has Little Rooster thrown into a well. One thing the King doesn't know: Little Rooster has a magic stomach. Water? Fire? Bees? No problem!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807592915
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	01/01/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Margaret Read MacDonald is a children's librarian turned storyteller who travels the world sharing tales. Her many picture book retellings include The Boy from the Dragon Palace, Little Rooster’s Diamond Button, and Mabela the Clever. When not traveling, she lives near Seattle, Washington.

Will Terry has illustrated more than twenty picture books including The Three Little Gators and Little Rooster's Diamond Button. He teaches illustration part-time at Utah Valley State College, creates ebook apps, and lives in Utah.

Editorial Reviews

When Little Rooster finds a bit of bling ("a diamond button!"), he wants to give it to his poor, goodhearted mistress. A greedy king, however, steals the button and tries to kill the feathered hero. But the monarch is repeatedly outfoxed, so to speak, by the rooster's "magicstomach." When the king orders the rooster thrown into a beehive, for example, the rooster tells his stomach to simply eat up all the bees; when the king then tries to squash the rooster by sitting on him, the rooster regurgitates the insects ("Spit out all the bees... and let them sting that King!" the fowl commands). The triumphant Little Rooster ultimately bestows upon his owner not only the button, but also the entire contents of the royal treasury. MacDonald (Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!) retells this folktale with her usual verve and astute ear for what pleases a read-aloud audience. Terry's (Armadilly Chili) acrylic paintings make a good match with their appealingly woozy feel. His googly-eyed characters look at home amid silly hysteria, while his swooping lines, radiantly brassy colors, and off-kilter perspectives capture a world where anything is possible. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1–3
This version of a Hungarian folktale is perfectly suited to a storytelling performance. A little rooster finds a diamond button, only to have it snatched up by a greedy king. The rooster goes to the palace and demands that it be returned. The monarch tries to get rid of him, but he uses his amazing magic stomach to escape from a well, a fire, and a beehive. Finally he not only wins the button back, but manages to obtain all of the king's treasure as well. The story is simple but amusing and has good cadence and pacing. MacDonald has eliminated all extraneous detail so movement from scene to scene is quick. There is much here to delight listeners, especially when the rooster releases a swarm of bees in the king's baggy pants. Terry's plucky acrylic illustrations heighten the humor. He uses rich, contrasting colors and exaggerated facial features to make the characters and scenes energetically funny. Celia Barker Lottridge's version (Groundwood, 2001) is illustrated by Joanne Fitzgerald with traditional watercolor-and-ink pictures, and the story is told with more embellishment. It is well suited for individual reading, but MacDonald's is better for group sharing.
—Donna CardonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

In this retelling of a Hungarian folktale, an enterprising rooster discovers a diamond button while searching for food. On the way home to give it to his mistress, he sees the King, who notices the glittering button and claims it for his own. "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Give me back my diamond button!" Little Rooster crows. The King refuses to return the button and decides to have the bird thrown into a well. Little Rooster has a secret weapon, though: a magic stomach that drinks up all the water, allowing him to escape. The King's anger multiplies as each punishment he metes out is quashed by Little Rooster's magical stomach and infinite appetite for fair play. Eventually, Little Rooster is able to take his leave-with the king's treasure, which goes to Little Rooster's mistress and is shared with the entire village. Energetic acrylic illustrations round out this satisfying, fun-filled tale about a very fowl Robin Hood. Includes a note concerning other versions and similar folktales around the world. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

"Eye-popping, comic illustrations make this fresh version of an old folktale into a rollicking romp."

Booklist

"In typical MacDonald style, the story is perfectly paced and effectively patterned for a foolproof readaloud."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Book

"Energetic acrylic illustrations round out this satisfying, fun-filled tale about a very fowl Robin Hood."

Kirkus Reviews

"MacDonald retells this folktale with her usual verve and astute ear for what pleases a read-aloud audience."

Publishers Weekly

"This version of a Hungarian folktale is perfectly suited to a storytelling performance."

School Library Journal

From the Publisher