Review by Booklist Review
In the town of Bad Göodsburg, no one works as hard as the newsboy, who is also the resident chimney sweep, shoe shiner, and milkman. He's overworked but assured by the townspeople that it's an equitable labor arrangement, and he cheerfully fulfills his duties. One day, the front-page headline breaks some terrible news: the local wishing well has broken! Residents are distraught, confiding in the newsboy that their urgent wishes (endless food for the town, cures for illnesses) are of utmost importance. The newsboy, moved by their magnanimity (and the fact that no one else really wants to), heads to the well to find a fix. What he finds instead is an enormous spider, guiltily hoarding the enormous pile of coins. When the boy explains that the selfless requests must be granted, the spider reports that the townspeople wished only for only personal gain. The furious newsboy cleverly uses this information to reduce his workload, accrue a pile of coins, and live happily ever after. Is this cheeky storybook technically an entertaining endorsement of blackmail? It sure is, and it's very funny. The sly text joyfully winks at the audience, and the playful illustrations with a folktale feel are just as much fun. The wonderfully stylized digital artwork has a block-printed quality, the simple style conveying surprisingly complex emotion, including that of the standout spider. A splendidly silly story for all ages.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When a shopkeeper, doctor, and baker each claim to be furious that their altruistic wishes aren't coming true, a naive newsboy is dispatched to find out why the local wishing well is on the fritz. There, the boy discovers that a spider (wonderfully distilled into black circle, eight squiggles, and earnest googly eyes) is not only catching the wishers' gold wishing coins, but has also heard their desires, which are in actuality anything but selfless: "The baker wished for a full head of hair, the shopkeeper wished for huge muscles, and the doctor wished for lots of money." With a cry of "JUSTICE," the town's overworked Jack of all trades, suddenly savvy, parlays his information into a life of leisure and a steady income of wishing-well revenue. In a folkloric-feeling work with a bit of bite, Hannigan makes a splendid picture book debut with digital art that brings to mind the vibrant palettes, comically stylized shapes, and compositional playfulness of 1960s Polish "Cyrk" posters. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Mar.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Our hardworking protagonist, the newsboy, wears many hats. Though his primary job is "to bring to the town of Bad Goodsburg their daily news," he also acts as chimney sweep, shoe shiner, and milk deliverer. "He was assured by the townspeople that this was a fair arrangement." One day breaking news brings an upsetting update: the local wishing well is on the fritz, leaving the town's doctor, shopkeeper, and baker's purportedly altruistic wishes (health, happiness, and sustenance for all) ungranted. They call on the newsboy to investigate, and he discovers several unexpected, and humorous, truths. With three brief sections, the narrative is well paced and easy to follow. Digital illustrations in a limited palette have the look of chunky, weighty woodcuts combined with simple-shaped children's drawings; faces are round or oblong, noses are red circles, and eyebrows look like smiles or frowns. There are unique perspective shifts, too, such as the newsboy looking into the well -- and the spider gazing back up from inside. In the end, the three mendacious wishers are brought to "justice...sort of," and a twist conclusion sees the put-upon protagonist seizing his opportunity -- and then some, thanks to a little blackmail and extortion. Elissa GershowitzMarch/April 2024 p.66 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A resourceful newsboy finds his fortune. The boy works multiple other jobs ("he was also the chimney sweep, the shoe shiner, and the milkman"--he's told this is a "fair arrangement") for the town of Bad Göodsburg. One day, he delivers troubling news: The wishing well is broken! The baker, the shopkeeper, and the doctor are particularly incensed, since they've each made a selfless wish--or so they claim. When the boy investigates, he discovers that a large spider now occupies the well and appears to have gathered the coins (and presumably the wishes) for itself. The spider tells the boy that the supposedly altruistic baker, shopkeeper, and doctor actually made selfish wishes, and the enterprising boy cleverly leverages this information for a better deal from the town, plus a big pile of gold coins. Hannigan's lighthearted block printing--style art, featuring naïve, slightly blobby characters, complements the droll, deceptively simple folktale-esque narrative. Bold pages with white text set against black backgrounds introduce each section of the brief narrative, supplying both dramatic pacing and sly humor. The unprincipled townsfolk get their just deserts, and the glimpse of the now very cranky spider at the end is the cherry on top of a very diverting sundae. Terrific fun with a shrewd hero. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
