The Kingfisher Book of Nursery Tales - Softcover

Stephen Lambert Vivian French

4

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780753409916: The Kingfisher Book of Nursery Tales

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753409917 ISBN 13: 9780753409916

Publisher: Pan MacMillan, 2004

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Generations of children have listened enthralled to the tales of Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This gorgeous new collection brings these and other nursery favorites to a new generation of little ones, inspiringly retold by a popular writer for this young age group. Filled with vitality and fun, Vivian French"s retellings are perfect to read aloud, while Stephen Lambert"s charming illustrations bring the tales to life on every page.

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About the Author:

Vivian French is a renowned author and storyteller. A tireless lecturer in Children's Literature in both the U.K. and U.S., Vivian says that the most exciting aspects in her work are 'developing new ideas with illustrators then visiting schools and talking to children'. Vivian is the author of Caterpillar, Caterpillar, It's a Go-to-the-Park Day, Little Tiger Goes Shopping, Once Upon A Time, One Ballerina Two, and Under the Moon.

Award-winning artist Stephen Lambert is the illustrator of a number of picture books for young readers including Secret in the Mist (David & Charles), which won the U.K.'s Smarties Book Prize, Coral Goes Swimming (Hodder), Nobody Rides the Unicorn (Doubleday). and Moonbathing (Harcourt). He lives in Cornwall, England.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-The eight selections in this collection reflect the author's belief that nursery tales should offer "a good dollop of common sense- and a simple but clear morality." French's modern retellings provide entertaining details and humor. The big bad wolf climbs down the chimney of the third little pig and falls into a pot of parsnips and peppercorns. He subsequently runs off holding his bum, while the pigs bemoan the loss of their meal and settle on green pea soup. Gender roles are not traditional; females and males are equally good, smart, selfish, witless, etc. Sister pig builds the brick structure; Mama Bear repairs the chair while Papa makes more porridge. The characters are lively, with expressions that reflect the stories' moods. Some the richly colored paintings are full page; others fit around the edges of the text. The depiction of the full cast of characters pulling the turnip out of the ground is particularly expressive. With his fine manners and stylish attire, the wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood" is too charming to dismiss. However, some readers may find the bright contrasting colors of the occasional geometric borders have a distracting optical effect. Overall, though, the collection is well done. The ratio of text to pictures makes it better suited to sharing than for storytimes; it will also be a suitable choice for children looking to venture beyond beginning readers.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
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