The Fool the Flying Ship

Rising to a challenge from the monarch of Russia, a goofy country bumpkin and his strange superhuman `moujik' companions invent a flying ship and show up to claim the Czar's daughter.

Grade 1-4-- Collage endpapers--a kaleidescope of postage stamps, paper bits, and line-and-watercolor figures cut out from the book--suggest the frenetic verbal and visual voyage awaiting readers within this version of the classic Russian folktale. The text is witty, the illustrations weird; author and illustrator obviously had one hilariously good time creating this. The fool sails off in a birdlike ship (Are those chicken legs?), collecting an odd assortment of fantastic creatures to go to the wedding of the Tsar's daughter. A flying ship is not enough to claim her hand; the fool and his friends must first perform several other feats, culminating in putting not an army of soldiers around the palace, but instead hundreds of penguins at the South Pole. The bizarre cartoon illustrations, done in Drescher's familiar bold-to-garish colors, are grotesque and very busy. If the book appeals, it will be to an older audience than for Arthur Ransome's traditional retelling (Farrar, 1968). Robin Williams, backed up by the Klezmer Conservatory Band on the accompanying audio-cassette, gives a spirited reading, with many ad libs, even more adult in tone.
- Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.