About the Author

Rosanne Cash is a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter who has released ten record albums over the post twenty years, which have charted eleven number-one singles and earned numerous accolades for songwriting and performance. Her first book, Bodies of Water, was published in 1995 to widespread critical acclaim. Her essays and fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Oxford-American, and various other periodicals and collections. She also teaches a songwriting workshop. Penelope Jane: A Fairy's Tale is her first book for children. Ms. Cash lives in New York City with her husband, John Leventhal, and her children. G. Brian Karas has written and illustrated several award-winning children's books, including On Earth and Home on the Bayou: A Cowboy's Story, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book. The picture books he has illustrated include Are You Going to Be Good?, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book written by Cari Best. Mr. Karas lives in Rhinebeck, New York.

Reviews

"Karas' artwork is just the right mix of color and whimsy."--" ALA Booklist"Quirky...clever."--" Entertainment Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-Penelope Jane is an eyelash-high fairy who lives with her mother in a dresser drawer in five-year-old Carrie's bedroom. Though she attends fairy school, her visit to the little girl's classroom is less than successful. "She dive-bombed the turtle./She pestered the fish./She logrolled the chalk./She danced in a dish." Ordered to the corner by the frazzled teacher, the little sprite is resigned to spending lunchtime alone, but when a fire breaks out, she recalls a song that her mother wrote, "How to Be Strong," that empowers her to summon help. The story is told in rhymes, some of which are weak and forced, and its logic is at times shaky. The book includes a CD of the song recorded by Cash; the words and music are included at the back of the book. Karas's zippy cartoonlike illustrations help anchor the story: Penelope Jane is a sturdy creature with bobbed brown hair and practical play clothes. There are lots of nifty details, such as the little yellow mustard tracks P.J. leaves behind after managing to snarl herself up in a sandwich. A pleasant, appealing book, but one that has stronger art than story.-Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.