The Magic Fish-bone - Hardcover

Dickens, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152010807 ISBN 13: 9780152010805

Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books, 2000

Synopsis

Princess Alicia, given a magical fish-bone by a good fairy, is told that she must make her wishes at the proper times, yet not having any guidance as to what is the right time, she decides to not make any wishes at all to not disturb the happy world in which she lives.

About this title

About the Author

Charles Dickens (1812- 1870) was put to work in a factory at age twelve, and children coping with adult responsibilities figure in many of his works. His writing career was launched in 1833, and by the time the bestselling The Pickwick Papers was published in 1837, he was among the leading voices of
his time.

Robert Florczak's lifelong passion for Dickens's work, as well as for Victorian painting and design, culminates with The Magic Fish-bone's superb evocation of Dickens's time. Mr. Florczak lives in Southern California.

Reviews

Grade 2-6-Dickens's marvelously descriptive turns of phrase and Florczak's pencil-and-oil illustrations bring to life this story of an endearing and rambunctious Victorian family. Things couldn't get much worse for seven-year-old Princess Alicia. As the eldest of 19 children, she copes as best as she can with her mother's illness, the cook's desertion, and accidental injuries to siblings. However, when her father reveals that the family faces utter penury, Alicia calls on the magical powers of a fish-bone from the Fairy Grandmarina. The resultant pile of golden coins assures them of a solvent future; a visit from the imperious but kindly Grandmarina cures all injuries and illness. And in true fairy-tale style, the patient, intrepid child is wed to a handsome young prince and promised a happy ever after. While animal lovers may cavil as the fish-bone effectively chokes a rather nasty pug dog, it's certainly consistent with this tale of "deserved comeuppances." The tongue-in-cheek wit and the lengthy text demand a degree of listener sophistication but the many oversized illustrations and the open typeface increase the tale's accessibility. The realistic tintype complexions and meticulous outlines of the characters play against detailed backgrounds that artfully blend the prosaic with the fantastic. Unusual and beautifully rendered in words and pictures, this is a fine addition to a unit on literary fairy tales, a droll introduction to Dickens, and an example of purely entertaining wish fulfillment.
Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Originally published in a children's periodical in 1868, this oddly down-to-earth fairy tale is told in a decidedly mannered style. The Fairy Grandmarina gives Princess Alicia a magic fishbone. To her father's confusion and consternation, she declines to use it until "we have tried very hard, and tried all ways" to make do without magic. Her reward is marriage, which does seem a fantasy, as she and the groom appear to be about 12. Still, it's a fantasy that may appeal to some children, especially as interpreted in Florczak's lively and suitably stylized illustrations. The characters are depicted with a soft-edged realism that sometimes has the quality of tinted photographs, while the colors, settings, and composition are more reminiscent of an old volume of nursery rhymes. A quirky but amusing interpretation of Dickens' tale in a handsome, large-format book. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152010807
• ISBN 13: 9780152010805
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Florczak Robert
• Number of pages: 40