Synopsis
A children’s classic with stunning new artwork
When young Mossy hears the legend that anyone who manages to find the end of a rainbow will be rewarded with a golden key, he becomes determined to do exactly that. But finding the golden key is the easy part—discovering what it unlocks is a much harder task. Together with a runaway girl named Tangle, the two set out to find the key’s purpose—and discover their own along the way.
George MacDonald’s beloved fairytale is brought to life by Ruth Sanderson’s sumptuous illustrations, making this a perfect gift for readers of all ages.
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About the Authors
George MacDonald (1824-1905) The great nineteenth-century innovator of modern fantasy, whose works influenced C. S. Lewis, J. R. R.Tolkien, and Charles Williams. "I do not write for children," MacDonald once said, "but for the childlike, whether of five, or fifty, or seventy-five."
Ruth Sanderson has illustrated many books for children,including Cinderella and The Snow Princess(both Little, Brown) and the companion volumes Saints:Lives and Illuminations and More Saints: Lives andIlluminations. Her artistic style is inspired byRenaissance art, icons, illuminated manuscripts, oldengravings, and woodcuts. She lives in Easthampton,Massachusetts.
Reviews
Gr 3–7—This classic, enigmatic Victorian fairy tale of two children who find, lose, and then find each other again as they search for "the place from which the shadows fall" is given a new treatment by Sanderson. The artist has divided the work into nine short chapters and illustrated it with more than 45 bold black-and-white scratchboard pictures. Mossy discovers the key he has heard about in his great-aunt's stories and is charged with locating the lock into which it fits; Tangle, a neglected orphan, follows a magical fish to a hidden cottage where a beautiful woman takes her in and lovingly cares for her. Here the two meet and venture on a quest, developing a deep friendship, then losing each other, until, with the help of special beings and magical creatures, they are reunited in a new life. Unlike Maurice Sendak's soft, evocative illustrations in an older edition (Farrar, 1967), Sanderson's is deeply textured and dramatic, enhancing the vivid imagery of the narrative with many full pages and spreads. An afterword by Jane Yolen provides a snapshot of MacDonald's life and explores her experience of the story over time. An illustrator's note describes how Sanderson came to reformat and pictorially interpret the mysterious tale. Young readers may be puzzled by the narrative but will likely enjoy the magic, intriguing characters, and richly detailed illustrations; older readers may recognize religious or metaphorical elements. VERDICT A lovely addition for fairy-tale collections.—Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
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The Golden Key
Published by
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2016
ISBN 10: 0802854567
ISBN 13: 9780802854568
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Goodwill Books, Hillsboro, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. Sanderson, Ruth (illustrator). Fairly worn, but readable and intact. If applicable: Dust jacket, disc or access code may not be included. Seller Inventory # GICWV.0802854567.A