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Nutmeg    by David Lucas Amazon.com order for
Nutmeg
by David Lucas
Order:  USA  Can
Knopf, 2006 (2005)
Hardcover
* *   Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke

David Lucas is both author and illustrator of an out-of-the ordinary tale of a young girl named Nutmeg. She lives with Uncle Nicodemus and Cousin Nesbit. Nutmeg is tired of eating the same things each day - 'There was always cardboard for breakfast. / There was always string for lunch. / There was always sawdust for supper.'

Nutmeg announces that she's going for a walk on the beach. She finds a bottle out of which pops a Genie, who tells her, 'You have set me free. In return I shall grant you three wishes'. Of course, she wishes for something different to eat at breakfast, lunch, and supper. The Genie grants Nutmeg her wish and hands her a magic spoon. That night she's awakened by 'Bing BANG Bong! Clatter Clatter CRASH!' Creeping downstairs to investigate the ruckus, Nutmeg finds the Spoon has gone haywire and 'stirred up the whole house', and more!

Lucas's illustrations - in muted-color tones - include the most beautiful pink sky with a soft-yellow sunrise. He studied at the Royal College of Art in England, and his first award-winning picture book is Halibut Jackson. Though I found that the beginning and ending of the story lacks a little something, Nutmeg is a winsome tale.

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