Mary's Penny (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Mary's Penny
It's a classic folktale: a farmer, uncertain which son should inherit his farm, sets a test—fill up the house with what you can purchase for a penny—and finds to his surprise that it's his daughter who earns his respect and legacy. Landman offers a quiet-toned adaptation with touches of folkloric repetition and just enough description ("His arms were thick as branches, and his hands were as big as stone slabs") to add color. There's both a solid message and a gentle bite in the victory of imaginative problem-solving (Mary meets the challenge of filling the house for only a penny by using light and music), and it's always satisfying to see the underdog take the prize. The mixed-media art combines the sharp edges of layered collage panels with delicate, gently comedic drawing on faces and in background elements. Elegant, spacious layouts, all double-page spreads, allow the balanced compositions room to roam against airy backgrounds, while cunning details (such as the diagrammatic theatrical proscenium arch that frames the scenes of the filled—or not so filled—house) add interest and structure. A spirited retelling, this could slot in to several different units—on female folktale stars, and on brains over brawn, for a start—but it's also worth sharing as an engagingly told tale. Unfortunately, no source notes are included. [End Page 80]
