Their farm is too small to support her and her mother, so Grethel leaves "to discover a way to make life easier" for both of them. She finds a village full of people with "long faces in order to look hungry" and ready with excuses for not helping her. After Grethel cleverly tricks the townspeople into sharing their hidden food, she returns home, "an-up-and-coming lass" with a sack "bulging with food and good wishes." Stewig's well-turned phrases invite out-loud reading and listening. The bold shapes and subdued browns and blues of Tomas' illustrations make them effective for group use. (Ages 5-9)