Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house-and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw-Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend).

Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and-most serious-civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves-during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement. The writing is lyrical, with laudable word choice, alliteration, and imagery capturing the magic of the woods.įor lovers of fairy tales, this story of sisterhood, taking risks, and being kind is a physically beautiful book with an appealing cover and captivating full-color illustrations. Although the story nearly collapses under the weight and confusion of a horde of characters (the humans all apparently white), all is sorted out in the end. The girls help a very cranky Little Man with backward-bending legs and a giant bear who is pursued by the Huntsman. Ivo tells them about the Menace of the Woods, who has caused many to disappear. “Rose pictured herself as a tidy bow, and Snow was a wild tangle.” Meandering off the path in the woods, they happen upon an Underground House, a curious library filled with objects rather than books and overseen by the Librarian, and a tunnel under tree roots that leads them to Ivo, a boy who grows mushrooms. When their father fails to return from the woods, Snow, Rose, and their grieving mother must leave their wealthy home and move to a remote cabin in the woods. Picture-book author/illustrator Martin ( The Littlest Family’s Big Day, 2016, etc.) offers a reimagined chapter-book version of a lesser-known Grimm fairy tale, “Snow White and Red Rose.”

Snow and rose emily winfield martin