Sleeping Beauty - Hardcover

Geras, Adele

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 043958180X ISBN 13: 9780439581806

Publisher: Orchard Books, 2004

Synopsis

A sumptuous retelling of the classic fairy tale SLEEPING BEAUTY with gorgeous full-color art that will bring this tale to life for a new generation of readers.

The classic tale of SLEEPING BEAUTY is retold by acclaimed author Adele Geras, and joined with detailed paintings that bring the story to life.

When the king and queen throw a banquet in honor of the birth of their daughter, they invite all of the fairies, but one, Skura, who attends the feast, seeking revenge. She curses the baby, but her evil intentions are undone by the good fairy who instead promises years of sleep.

The pages are trimmed with exquisite borders to give it a classic feel, and the lavish full-color art is highlighted with black and white sketches.

About this title

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. The generous trim size, title stamped in gold, and opulent cover artwork (a lovestruck prince kneeling before his enchanted maiden, as glimpsed through a hedge burgeoning with roses) may be all the convincing a fairy-tale enthusiast needs to pluck this off the shelf. Those same enthusiasts, though, may be disappointed to find that the content is richer in words than images: of the book's 64 pages, only 12 are graced with full-color illustrations, which are scattered throughout like old-fashioned color plates. Elsewhere Geras' dense, Perrault-based text--not to be confused with the author's 2001 retelling inspired by the Tchaikovsky ballet--is broken up with small, black-and-white sketches. When one gets an eyeful of Birmingham's soft, gleaming pastels, though, it's worth the wait. His interpretation of the tale is pitch-perfect, all brocaded drapery, golden embellishment, and, during the castle's 100-year sleep, picturesque decay. Though the shorter and more fully illustrated offering by Mahlon and Kinuko Craft (2002) is better for sharing with groups, this version has a place in larger folklore collections and may be particularly welcomed by children's-lit students at the university level. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5–Geras has elaborated upon Charles Perrault's classic tale, drawing out the story with the addition of descriptive details and dialogue, while changing the plot only slightly. Birmingham's full-page, romantic illustrations have the blurred, softly textured appearance of oil pastel and paint. Many pages are adorned with vignettes done in soft pencil, and a pale blue border of vines and flowers surrounds every page of larger-than-average-size text. Although this is a lovely edition, readers who appreciate the traditional story for its straightforward narration may be put off by the abundance of conversation. Mahlon F. Craft's retelling (SeaStar, 2002), featuring oil-and-watercolor paintings by K. Y. Craft, is closer in style to Perrault's version.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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About this edition

• Publisher: Orchard Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 043958180X
• ISBN 13: 9780439581806
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Birmingham Christian