Nurse Lugton's Curtain

Woolf, Virginia

ISBN 10: 0152005455 ISBN 13: 9780152005450

Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books, 1991

Synopsis

When old Nurse Lugton falls asleep while sewing her multi-patterned curtain, the sky, huts, villagers, elephants, zebras, giraffes, penguins, and other animals on it come to life

About this title

Reviews

Grade 1-3-- When great authors write small tales for children of their acquaintance, it is not always their best work, especially if "found among the pages" of their manuscripts. Virginia Woolf's story, first in print in 1965 and republished here as a picture book, is indeed a small tale. Nurse Lugton's curtain, on which she is sewing when she falls asleep, comes alive briefly, releasing its pattern of animals and villagers and sunbaked buildings in the town of Millamarchmantopolis. When Nurse Lugton awakes, the parade of animals and people falls quickly back into the folds of the cloth and the story is done. However, this is Virginia Woolf's story, and the simple tale flows with the rhythms of an accomplished prose writer. Vivas's watercolor illustrations flow across the pages like the prose, with parading animals and marching villagers costumed as if for Mardi Gras. Jungle animals and Africans surround Nurse Lugton's sleeping head, hands, and feet until suddenly she wakens and everything tumbles back into the folds of the cloth and reality resumes its dull symmetry. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Nurse Lugton falls asleep over her sewing, and the piece--decorated with people and animals--comes alive. A "great ogress," Lugton has placed an enchantment on the cloth; its "inhabitants" are free only when she snores five times, but must freeze again when she awakens. Although Woolf wrote this tale in 1924 it wasn't published until 1965--perhaps with good reason. The prose is surprisingly lifeless ("For it was well known that even the smallest monkey was enchanted. For a great ogress had them in her toils . . . "), rambling and confusing. Unfortunately, this isn't Vivas's best work, either. The illustrator of Possum Magic and The Nativity presents some fanciful animal characters and her palette is characteristically soft, but a certain vitality--generally a strong suit for this artist--is lacking. Her depiction of Nurse Lugton as a tired, kindly-looking older woman doesn't jibe with Woolf's descripton. Vivas's Lugton doesn't seem like a wicked enchantress, but like someone who would set the captives of the cloth free if she could. Disjointed and disappointing. Ages 7-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152005455
• ISBN 13: 9780152005450
• Binding: Library Binding
• Illustrator: Vivas Julie
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32