Quickly, the Magic Spatula has returned in an engaging new book by award-winning authors, Miriam Kronish and Jeryl Abelmann. Illustrator Daniel J. Seward playfully portrays Quickly in white sneakers sporting a bright red âQâ and brings Quickly, PanDora, and their new friend Ponnie to life with sparkling eyes and action poses. His animal illustrations are both accurate and charming.
After greeting us with a big âHello!â Quickly explains that Ponnie, a spatula that he and his old friend PanDora met last year, has invited them to visit his country, South Africa. He will be their safari guide, driving their smiling green jeep as they make their way around the land to âvisit the animals and learn their namesâ [each one representing a different letter of the alphabet] and âsee the country [with sights representing a letter] and play some games.â
Kronish and Abelmannâs alphabet stories, which proffer a few simple facts about the animals and places, are written in the most delightful verse. Rhyming words are here, there, and everywhere! For example: âB stands for BuffaloâŠIf you look at its back, youâll find a tiny bird. No, itâs not absurd to find a bird. The oxpecker is its name. What a wonderful word! And the buffalo loves to be part of the herd.â Another favorite, âH stands for HippoâHippos love to play in water. Donât you think they oughtta?â Then there is âVictoria Fallsâwhere the water never stops falling, and the mists never stop rising. Itâs not so surprising.â Finally, the safari party meets the Zebra, which âgallops like a horse, and is related to a donkey, of course!â
The safari is over. Itâs time to go home. As a parting surprise, Ponnie gives his friends a recipe for the South African Pannekoek, or pancake, which Quickly shares with us.
Quicklyâs safari adventure is a delightful way to introduce children to new vocabulary words, geographic information, and learn about African animals. The handy games make learning this new information fun and entertaining. And the captivating rhymes will have young readers giggling as they repeat the verses.
Next, children and adults will have a lot of fun with âQuicklyâs Safari Adventure Coloring & Activity Book.â And, if you havenât already read them, âQuickly, the Magic Spatulaâ and âQuicklyâs Magical Pancake Adventureâ will fill you in on the story of how Quickly came to life and his earlier adventures.
Quickly, the Magic Spatula
A surefire way to make a childrenâs book a favorite is to mix a bit of truth with a bit of magic, and thatâs just what Jeryl Abelmann and Miriam Kronish have done in the award winning âQuickly: The Magic Spatula.â Chason Matthamsâs illustrations further enliven the story with their unique design and bright color.
Big sister and younger brother, all grown up, are searching for mementos in the attic of their childhood home when they come upon a dusty box marked âkitchen utensilsâ. Pulling the cardboard flaps open, something catches their eyes, and they both shout âQuickly! Itâs Quickly!â An old spatulaâits metal bent and dulled, and the green paint on its handle almost peeled off. But in an instant, brother and sister are young again, once more in Mommyâs sunny kitchen.
Mommyâs delicious pancakes are sizzling in the pan, as always on Sunday mornings, and the children eagerly awaiting a plateful. Suddenly Mommy cried âJeffrey! Please bring me the spatulaâquickly!â Jeffrey grabs the sparkly, green-handled spatula and, running across the kitchen, hollers âHereâs Quickly, Mommy!â Four-year-old Jeffrey thinks the spatula was named Quickly!
Discovering that he has a name brings the spatula magically to life. Quickly, the spatula is now convinced that he possesses the magic to make Mommyâs pancakes taste better than ever. And sure enough, Quicklyâs magic works!
For children as well as adults, giving life to an inanimate object can create magic in a storyâor two or three. Quickly, the Magic Spatula gives us pause to consider the beloved objects in our daily lives that create magical memorable momentsâa great way to start a conversation with children! The story is also a much needed reminder to busy adults just how special simple rituals can be to children and the memories that create can last a lifetime.
Be sure to follow Quicklyâs continuing story in âQuicklyâs Magical Pancake Adventureâ and âS is for Safari: An Alphabetical Adventure with Quickly, the Magic Spatula.â Then have fun with âQuicklyâs Safari Adventure Coloring & Activity Book.â
Quicklyâs Magical Pancake Adventure
Miriam Kronish and Jeryl Abelmannâs lovable character, Quickly, the Magical Spatula, returns in Quicklyâs Magical Pancake Adventure. In this story, his magic extends beyond helping Mommy make Silver Dollar pancakes in her sunny kitchen. Quickly decides to see the world and meet other spatulas who make different kinds of pancakes. But there is more magic at work in this book, with the power to pique young readersâ interest with not just an engaging story, but also what could become an enjoyable activity for the whole family!
Eager to begin his next adventure, Quickly wiggles out of the frame in which Jeffrey and his sister had placed him. He hops out the window and sets off on his adventure. Soon he meets up with a friendly fellow spatula, who introduces himself as Backburner, the Pancake Turner, or just Bernie. He is a pancake historian, on the lookout for new facts about pancakes, and invites Quickly to join him.
The new friends head down the road until they see a large colorful sign: âCalling All Spatulas to the First Annual Spatula Camp.â Heading for the Grand Exhibition Hall, they join a crowd of spatulasâof all shapes and colorsâdeciding which sessions to attend: pancake recipes and tips, pancake songs and stories, pancake makeup (like cherry cheeks and blackberry brows), or Great Chefsâ Pancakes, at which each chef will share a special recipe.
While at the camp, Quickly collects recipes from the chefs, while Bernie picks up griddling tips. Then they join a group of spatulas listening to PanDora tell the story of Pancake Day in the UK. Quickly muses about a world in which all people belong to one big, happy pancake-eating family. Inspired, he writes âA Pancake Poemâ to share with his new friends.
Quickly suddenly realizes it is time to go home. In less time than it takes to say âQuickly, the Magic Spatulaâ, he lands on the kitchen counter (where, as you will see, the bookâs respected illustrator, Chason Matthams, has laid out all the ingredients for Mommyâs Silver Dollar pancakes). Before Quickly climbs back into his frame, he compiles his collection of famous pancake recipes just for his readers including one from one of my favorite chefs, Jacques Pepin.
Young readers will be happy to know that âQuickly, The Magic Spatulaâ and the new (2016) âS is for Safari: An Alphabetical Adventure with Quickly, the Magic Spatulaâ, and the beautiful coloring/activity book, âSafari Adventure Coloring & Activity Bookâ are available for more fun and adventures.
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