Snow white Blancanieves

PreK-Gr 1-Here is the classic tale of a vain stepmother who forces the fairest of them all into the woods only to discover that the girl finds refuge at the home of seven little men and eventually salvation at the lips of a prince. Retelling this much beloved story well is no small feat. Desclot deserves credit for doing so succinctly and adequately if not in a wholly engaging manner. Both Spanish and English texts are clear. However, it is the artwork that transforms this book from blah to buyable. Done in colored pencil with graphite shading on top, these deftly drawn illustrations are sweet without being cutesy, accessible yet still clearly artistic. The big criticism here, especially given the target age, is a disconnect between the text and the corresponding illustrations on the first five spreads (though not throughout). Overall, though, this book will make a fine addition to a bilingual Spanish collections in school and public libraries. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.

These bilingual adaptations follow the same format: English preceding Spanish texts on the left-hand pages with illustrations on the right. The use of European Spanish may cause slight difficulty for speakers of North American Spanish (though differences are fairly minor). Illustrations in Snow White use sharp or smooth lines to reflect character traits, while old-fashioned comics-style illustrations in Pied Piper play up humor. [Review covers these titles: The Pied Piper /El flautista de Hamelin and Snow White / Blancanieves.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.