Clever Beatrice

And poor, of course (they're always poor, have you noticed?), at least, she is until she heads up to bet her strength against a giant. Let's see... little girl... big giant - yeah, the giant thinks this is really funny too. Pity he's not as clever as she is. Through intelligence and plain old chutzpah, Beatrice convinces the giant three times that if she competes she's bound to destroy his property, so she wins her bets three times and goes home relatively wealthy. Not bad, not bad at all.

What a great story for a little girl to read/be read to. Beatrice is able to use her brains to get gold to feed her mother and herself so they won't starve. She uses her wit and a bit of luck to prove she is stronger and smarter than a giant. Lots of fun to read.

Beatrice outwits a not so clever giant in this tale of the North country. The story is told as a folk tale and the illustrations go right along with the simple story line are are quite able to stand alone. I enjoy this particular style of story telling and this particular style of art. The kids at school seem to enjoy not only reading it but having it read to them. It leaves great openings for discussion. All in all, recommend this one highly.

I love trickster tales and this one, with a young girl in the starring role, is a treat. Set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Beatrice decides she needs to help her mother by earning some money. There are only 2 options: lumbering and gambling with the giant who lives on the other side of the woods. Beatrice heads for the giant. Fortunately, she's a clever little girl; equally fortunately, the giant is not clever at all. She makes bets that she can pound on his front door harder than he can, that she can carry more water from the well than he can, that she can throw an iron bar farther than he can. And she wins! This story is going to get lots of reading in my Michigan school.

I LOVE the beautiful illustrations in this book! They're full of rich color and details. The technique of combining watercolors and collage makes for an interesting look. I also enjoy the fun story where a little girl outwits a large giant, and yet both feel lucky at the story's end. This book is definitely a winner!