The Golden Goose

McDermott, Dennis; Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm

ISBN 10: 0688114032 ISBN 13: 9780688114039

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2000

Synopsis

In a retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale, Hans's generosity to a troll he meets in the woods earns him the hand of the beautiful princess, Rosamund, when he returns to her her favorite golden goose.

About this title

About the Author

Dennis McDermott admires the golden age of illustrations from such masters as Jessie Willcox Smith, Howard Pyle, and N. C. Wyeth to develop his own pleasantly old-fashioned style. His pictures have been praised as "lavish, beckoning readers to curl up and be transported to unexplored realms" (Publishers Weekly). He has illustrated Oom Razoom, by Diane Wolkstein, and Andrew Lang's The Flying Ship, which received a Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995. Dennis McDermott lives in Mattituck, New York, where he also teaches art classes to students in the community.

Reviews

Grade 1-4-In this familiar plot, a third and simple son shares his food and drink with a little old man who holds the secret to the tree where the golden goose hides. As the son trots along holding the goose, each person who touches it becomes stuck. When the silly parade of seven reaches the King's palace, the princess, promised in marriage to whomever makes her laugh, does so at the foolish sight. The story line holds true to the original except for eliminating the three trials the King sets for the hero to keep him from marrying his daughter. Here, the story ends with the hero making the princess laugh and marrying her. Characters have been personalized with names and traits, language revised, and details added. The old man is a troll, beer becomes cider, and the goose is in the area because of a magic spell. Even so, the text is brief and lacks a measure of enchantment. The dominating acrylic-and-pencil illustrations appear as if a yellowish (or golden?) film has been imposed on them, paling the colors for a muted effect. McDermott's effort at an old-fashioned style results in prettified scenes and faces of children far too young to be married. The rendition of the tale by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar, 1995) relies on angular shapes, peasant features, and a "stuck-on" rhyme to exaggerate the humor.
Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688114032
• ISBN 13: 9780688114039
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32