Sometimes I spend time admiring the art of an exceptional picture book, thinking about how carefully crafted illustrations provide meaning in a story, give us information the the words do not, and enhance the readers experience. This is not that book review. This book review is a love letter to a young boy that once was, now almost grown. A still dancing creature emptying my refrigerator, swigging the last drop of milk and startling me with a deep baritone whenever I phone home but in my heart still that little one. I write to highlight how sometimes matching the right book to the right reader is more important than the quality of editing or illustrations, trim size or font. Today I review such a title, Fritz the Rat King by Mickey Gunter illustrated by Eric Freeburg.
Let me begin by way of a story. Once upon a time at my house about 14 yrs ago, there was a preschool boy who loved dance class. His teacher, Miss Karen, introduced them to a dance from The Nutcracker party scene. In it, the some of the children admired and cradled beautiful dolls dancing with with them, and other students disrupted the dancing with pretend trumpets, drums, and plastic swords. My kiddo was a disruptor from the start. He fell in love with this dance and begged to see it performed on a real stage. Mom acquiesced took her little wild thing and his older sister to an opera house full of dancers, musicians, and little girls in red velvet.
Picture the scene. The room is hushed. The symphony is playing. The professional company and a few hand selected ballet students from around the metro area have completed the famous party scene. Clara is sleeping and the nutcracker doll has come to life. At that moment I hear a most unexpected howled “Whoop”. I look over and the little boy is standing on the plush theater seats shouting and cheering for the Rat King. Mortified, I pull him back to seated. When the battle has ended, he is crushed because his beloved king has been defeated by the nutcracker prince. My disappointed dancer struggles with watching the next hour of ballet. This book is for that boy!
Mickey Gunter has obviously taught ballet to little boys and retells the story with the right amount of detail to stay true to the ballet and to keep a young reader engaged. It retells the classic Nutcracker story through the party and the battle except narrated through the eyes of Fritz, Clara’s brother. We also learn what Fritz thinks and does after he has been banished from the party. The classic dances in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy are reimagined through more lively and rowdier eyes.
I like the illustrations by Eric Freeberg. I just wish there were more of them. The age of the audience I imagine for this book would prefer a picture on every page, not every four or five pages. I would not look for this book at any upcoming award ceremonies, but for the right reader, this book is a winner. 14 years late, it will appear under my tree in homage to that once little boy.