Review by New York Times Review
At a time when everyone obsesses over boosting self-esteem, a book about too much ego should have its place. Van Dusen ("The Circus Ship") tells the humorous tale, with boisterous, eye-popping illustrations, of a tiny king with an oversize ego, hoist with his own petard. But it's Tessa, a put-upon wench who also happens to be a sorceress, who steals the story, and eventually the king's (also sizable) heart. She probably deserves better. THE BOY FROM THE DRAGON PALACE A Folktale From Japan. Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald. Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. 32 pp. Albert Whitman & Company. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 7) This cautionary Japanese folktale offers an evergreen lesson: Be careful what you wish for. In this case, Aladdin's genie is the son of the Dragon King, a boy with "the snottiest nose you ever did see!" As long as he is fed shrimp soup, he grants his keeper's every wish. Children, predictably, will enjoy the boy's snuffling of nose and slurping of soup. Parents will like the parable against greed. And despite the tale's ick factor, Yoshikawa's drawings are lovely and adorable. KING JACK AND THE DRAGON By Peter Bently. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. 32 pp. Dial. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Oh, the glorious art of childhood fort building! At once contemporary and classic, this book will appeal to any child who believes in dragons, beasts and the swords that slay them. And, as affectionately described by Bently ("A Lark in the Ark") and Oxenbury ("We're Going on a Bear Hunt"), no E-Z Fort kit is required. Even the baby with a Binky is allowed to play. Eventually, the giants (parents) invade, bravery fades and the parental beasts are entirely welcome. THE ORPHAN A Cinderella Story From Greece. By Anthony L. Manna and Soula Mitakidou. Illustrated by Giselle Potter. 40 pp. Schwartz & Wade. $37.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) The most striking thing about this "Cinderella" is its palette of cool olive greens and Aegean blues, and - breathe easy, parents of brunettes - its dark-haired, brown-eyed heroine. The story also holds interesting departures. The fairy godmother is actually Cinderella 's mother, speaking from the grave: "Go, my child, go to good,/ With all my blessings, go!" she urges. "Your sorrow weighs upon my heart,/ Your pain, it wounds me so." The tale becomes one not just of maternal absence but of eternal motherly love. The slipper remains the same. HOW THE LEOPARD GOT HIS CLAWS By Chinua Achebe with John Iroaganachi. Illustrated by Mary Grandpré. 38 pp. Candlewick Press. $16.99. (Picture book/middle grade; ages 7 to 11) In this powerful illustrated fable for older picture book readers, Achebe, the celebrated Nigerian writer, offers a parable about how power corrupts. The story follows a vainglorious dog - Scar to the Leopard King - who thwarts the animal kingdom's interspecies peace and deposes its king. This is anticolonialist fiction for middle graders, with a touch of Orwell's "Animal Farm," and is as much a critique of those who blindly follow power as of those who wrongly assume it. There's a lesson to be learned, but no happy ending. THE FAIRY TALES OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM Edited by Noel Daniel. Translated by Matthew P. Price with Noel Daniel. Illustrated. 320 pp. Taschen. $39.99. (All ages) This gloriously illustrated collection, Taschen's first children's book, includes lesser-known tales like "Little Brother and Little Sister" and "The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs" along with the favorites. Best are the timeless illustrations, mostly European, gleaned from previously published work from the 1820s to the 1950s. The stories, if not all their characters, live happily ever after. PAMELA PAUL ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [September 11, 2011]
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This gorgeous treasury pairs new translations of 27 of the Grimm brothers' fairy tales with vintage illustrations dating from the 1820s to the 1950s. Brief introductions offer insight into the symbolism, themes, and contemporary relevance of each tale. Though Price and Daniel's translations feel modern ("Spare me the bawling," the old woman tells Hansel and Gretel), they honor the darkness that characterizes "Little Red Riding Hood," "Snow White," and other tales. The images show striking range, from Walter Crane's lush illustrations for "The Frog Prince" to Wanda Gag's droll pen-and-ink drawings for "The Fisherman and His Wife." The elegant presentation should entice readers to discover the cornucopia within. All ages. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Fairy tales. 7-11, adult)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
