Coppelia - Hardcover

Fonteyn, Margot

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152004289 ISBN 13: 9780152004286

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 1998

Synopsis

Prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn gives one last gift to the world of dance with this enchanting retelling of a classic ballet. With the vivacity and effortless grace that marked her performances, Dame Margot Fonteyn retells the story of Coppélia, a doll so lifelike and beautiful she captures the heart of a young villager--and the jealous attention of his fiancée. Completed shortly before her death in 1991, Dame Margot's Coppélia is masterfully staged by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, whose vibrant, richly textured paintings bring to life this tale of love and the power of imagination.

About this title

About the Author

Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson began working together as a creative team in 1986 and have collaborated on more than 50 picture books, including the New York Times bestseller My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss. They are recipients of the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. Visit them online at www.johnsonandfancher.com.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. Delibe's Coppelia, which was inspired by an E. T. A. Hoffman story, is a ballet particularly accessible to children. Doll maker Dr. Coppelius has created a masterpiece and dreams of bringing the realistic-looking doll to life. The doll, Coppelia, sits in the window of Dr. Coppelius' house and draws the admiration of young Franz. Franz's jealous sweetheart, Swanhilda, sneaks into the doll maker's house, dresses in the doll's clothing, and dances around his workshop. Seeing her, the doll maker at first thinks he has succeeded in bringing the doll to life but then finds that he has been deceived. Longer than previous picture-book versions of the tale, this retelling brings out the points of view of Dr. Coppelius, Franz, and Swanhilda and communicates the many dimensions of the story. An afterword fills in the history of the ballet. On each left-hand page, the text appears in a white box surrounded by a border of fabric swatches. On the facing page, a narrow white border frames a large illustration of a scene from the ballet, executed in both oil and material. Other painters have used fabric in paintings, but few have incorporated the cloth so effectively, making it part of the whole rather than an added feature stuck on as a novelty for its color, pattern, or texture. Here, the fabric is painted over in some places and in others left bare. The impressionistic paintings show the characters' personalities and moods through their bodies and gestures, rather than by facial details. Although the suggestion of music underlies the grace and movement of the characters, the illustrations show a story unfolding rather than a ballet in performance. A rich, visual interpretation and a wonderful introduction to a performance of the ballet. Carolyn Phelan

About this edition

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0152004289
• ISBN 13: 9780152004286
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Johnson Steve, Fancher Lou