The Blizzard's Robe - Hardcover

Sabuda, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689319886 ISBN 13: 9780689319884

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1999

Synopsis

Far to the north by the great Arctic Sea, where the winter sun barely rises above the horizon, live the People Who Fear the Winter Night. On the long winter nights the People huddle around their hearths, fearing visits from terrible Blizzard, who can destroy anything with its icy winds and snow.
Among the People lives a young girl named Teune -- the finest robemaker they have ever known. One night while Blizzard rages outside, the sparks from Teune's fire accidentally set fire to Blizzard's magnificent robe and consume it. But while the People Who Fear the Winter Night rejoice that Blizzard is no longer a threat, Teune sorrows to we Blizzard's mighty robe destroyed and sets out to make amends.
Robert Sabuda once again demonstrates his extraordinary artistic versatility in these magnificent batik illustrations, with details drawn from authentic folk motifs.

About this title

About the Author

Robert Sabuda is one of the most innovative and inventive children's book creators and is known worldwide for his amazing pop-up paper engineering. His books include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Twelve Days of Christmas, The Night Before Christmas, The Winter's Tale, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, to name but afew, have garnered numerous awards and have made the New York Times bestseller lists on many occasions. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 4-This Arctic pourquoi tale tells of the origin of the Northern Lights. Blizzard brings icy winds and terrorizes "the People Who Fear the Winter Night" by extinguishing the warmth and light of their hearths. Teune, a young robemaker, saves the tribe when the great fire she builds destroys Blizzard's robe and sends him crashing to the ground. Yet, in a dream, the felled terror speaks to her and asks for her help. In exchange, he promises to "honor your people with the greatest gift"-the Northern Lights. The full-page batik artwork creates a visual intensity that captures the urgency of the tribe's situation. It is the use of vibrant primary colors, reminiscent of Gerald McDermott's Arrow to the Sun (Viking, 1974), and the detail of the pictures that distinguish this book from Sabuda's previous work. This tale of survival and compassion, whether read aloud to young readers or alone by older ones, will warm the hearts of children and adults alike.
Tina Hudak, Takoma Park Maryland Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sabuda adds yet another credit to the remarkable repertoire of media exhibited in his picture books, including the crisp paper engineering of The Christmas Alphabet and the intricate, simulated stained-glass illustrations of Arthur and the Sword. Appropriately and inventively using batik art for this tale of a robemaker, he employs a variegated palette that spans the deep blues and purples of the frozen North to the sizzling oranges and yellows of a blazing fire. Sabuda sets his folkloric tale "far to the north by the Great Arctic Sea," where the People Who Fear the Winter Night are so named for their dread of Blizzard, a godlike figure who appears during the perpetual darkness of deep winter with destructive icy winds and snow. The writing is as sure and elegant as the artwork: "If the sun did rise above the horizon, it was only for a brief time, like a great whale rising to the surface of the sea for a quick breath." Teune, a young robemaker, makes amends to Blizzard after inadvertently destroying his gorgeous frozen robe: she painstakingly stitches for him her most beautiful robe. In return, the deity gives Teune's people the Aurora Borealis which earns them a new name: "the People of the Northern Lights." Given Sabuda's deft manipulation of color, these lights are brilliant indeed. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sabuda (Christmas Alphabet, 1994, etc.) illustrates this original tale of the origin of the northern lights with spread-filling, eye-catching batik art. Although her village is being terrorized by a brutal blizzard, when a young seamstress, Teune, accidentally destroys its robe, and therefore its power, she braves the anger of her people to create a beautiful replacement. In return, the blizzard leaves the sky full of dancing lights. Blizzard, depicted as a great scowling mask, swirls commandingly through marbled, multi-hued skies, but the robe, with its fur-trimmed, vividly-colored panels, and strong geometric designs, is the book's visual centerpiece, setting the stage for a glorious light show at the end. Matching striking illustrations to a plot in which the creative impulse must be served at the expense of both personal and public safety, Sabuda offers a story as provocative as it is mighty. (Picture book. 7-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689319886
• ISBN 13: 9780689319884
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Sabuda Robert
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32