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Everything old is new again
REVIEWS BY DEBORAH HOPKINSON Each year a dizzying number of new books for children appear and it's often difficult to know which ones will appeal to that special child or family on your gift list. But it's hard to go wrong choosing the beloved classics of children's literature. These books make thoughtful gifts, and will last long past the time when other toys have been forgotten or outgrown. To make your choices easier, this year several wonderful retellings of children's classics have been released in attractive, newly illustrated formats. Sharing these well-loved traditional tales is a sure way to please everyone on your gift list, young or old. Here are a few of our favorites.
Here is Alice once again, dressed in her bright blue jumper and ready for adventure. Oxenbury's art is the perfect accompaniment for children encountering Carroll's comical and magical masterpiece for the first time. Full-color illustrations and whimsical line drawings bring readers right into the Looking-Glass world with its amazing characters, including Humpty Dumpty and Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
By Helen Oxenbury Candlewick, $24.99 208 pages ISBN 0763628921
By Barbara McClintock Scholastic, $15.99 32 pages ISBN 0439561450
By Rudyard Kipling Candlewick, $19.99 160 pages ISBN 0763623172
Children today are more likely to have seen the Walt Disney 1940 film version of Pinocchio than to have read the original book. That's just one reason why The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Roberto Innocenti, would make a welcome addition to a child's library. Another is the stunning, imaginative art by the renowned Italian illustrator Innocenti, who has also illustrated the Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol. Collodi, an Italian journalist (his real name was Carlo Lorenzini) first published Pinocchio, the story of a mischievous and misbehaving wooden puppet, in 1881. This beautiful re-release will take readers young and old on an imaginative journey into another world. Pinocchio's travels are filled with adventure—he is ambushed, almost eaten by a fisherman, flies on the back of a pigeon and gets swallowed by a gigantic shark. Innocenti, one of the finest artists working in the field, created more than 50 magnificent illustrations for this handsome, high-quality edition. Children will be enthralled by his depiction of busy marketplaces, bright farmyard scenes, mysterious winter landscapes and even the inside of the giant shark. Children's books have the capacity to enrich and inspire as few other things do. The titles here will make the kinds of gifts that truly bring meaning and joy to the season.
By Carlo Collodi Creative Editions, $19.95 192 pages ISBN 1568461909 Deborah Hopkinson's picture book, Apples to Oregon, was recently named a finalist for the Oregon Book Award.
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Helen Oxenbury is one of the foremost illustrators working in children's books today. She has received many awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal for her 1999 illustrated retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Now she brings the same warmth and charm to her illustrations for Lewis Carroll's companion volume, Alice Through the Looking Glass, which was originally published in 1871.
Cinderella is perhaps the fairy tale most often retold. For her part, Barbara McClintock was inspired to retell and illustrate Cinderella after a trip to Paris. Using the Charles Perrault version as her starting point, McClintock has based her palace on Versailles, and all the costumes in the book reflect France in the era of Louis XIV. While young readers may not recognize these details, they are sure to be enthralled by the humorous depiction of the stepsisters, as well as the lavish gown Cinderella wears to the ball. McClintock, who has illustrated The Gingerbread Man and Goldilocks and The Three Bears, was also inspired by her cat, Pip, who makes appearances on many of the pages of this lovely book.
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Nicola Bayley, is the perfect choice for a child who loves animals. Kipling's stories about the man-cub, Mowgli, have delighted readers since 1894. This volume includes three separate stories: "Mowgli's Brothers," "Kaa's Hunting," and "Tiger! Tiger!" In this exquisitely designed edition, well-known British artist Bayley has created warm, colored pencil artwork that evokes a far-off jungle. Bayley's art brings Mowgli and his animal friends to life for a new generation of readers.
