Whuppity Stoorie: A Scottish Folktale

White, a professional storyteller, ""leprechaun expert"" and author of A History of Irish Fairies, knows how to deliver a good, old-fashioned fairy tale. Kate of Kittlerumpit lives with her mother in a cottage, where they have little to eat and no fine clothes. When their prized possession, Grumphie the pig, falls ill, a fairy cures it, but then demands Kate as her payment. The only way out of the bargain is to guess the fairy's name within three days, as in the more familiar story of Rumpelstiltskin. Schindler (Is This a Home for Hermit Crab?) uses a skillful mix of watercolor, gouache and pastels to depict the stone cottages, thatched roofs and idyllic landscapes of a prettified, long-ago Scotland. Delicate lines give Kate a slightly wispy, wistful appearance, while the fairy's ""whirlwind"" movements are interpreted literally, visually telegraphing her magical properties to the reader. The cozy visuals and the fun of outfoxing a fairy make this book a sound if conventional choice. Ages 4-8. (May)