The Legend of William Tell

Recounts in rhyme the story of the legendary Swiss folk hero who shot the apple from his son's head

Grade 1-3-- Both front and back cover illustrations have double frames approximately one inch into the lush paintings, emphasizing the impression of being outside observing this tale. Throughout, the watercolors spill over, around, and through such frames on one side of every double-page spread, focusing attention on the primary action before drawing the eye to background details. On the opposite page, narrative verse is placed inside wider borders entwined with green vinelike designs filled with the small figures common at the end of the medieval period of illumination. The rhythmic quatrains have a stirring and appropriately legendary quality that moves the story ahead with crisply swift action perfect for reading aloud. Bold reds, greens, and blues and the facial expressions of the characters heighten the dramatic action and often add humor to the tale. The renderings of Tell's son on the cover and at the moment the arrow hits the apple are especially expressive. Viewers will search these pictures for details of everyday life including homes, tools, weathervanes, and weaponry of the time. Young people hearing the story will get a glimpse of the single individual who refused to bow down to a powerful tyrant and, in so doing, gave those who had been oppressed the courage to rebel against evil. --Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Small's lilting, rhymed verse and lavish illustrations distinguish this retelling of the legend featuring a skilled marksman who triumphs over a cruel tyrant. Ruling "with a fist of iron and a heart of stone," Gessler the Black terrifies the inhabitants of a peaceful Swiss village. They take to their homes, refusing to enter the town square, where Gessler has mounted his cap on a pole and decreed that all who pass by must kneel to it. When William Tell visits the town and defies Gessler's order, the villain orders the woodsman to shoot an arrow at an apple placed on top of his son's head. Printed on simulated parchment pages, Small's vivid text is framed by elegant borders. Though somewhat weak in facial details, his brightly hued paintings are filled with period touches that convey the drama of this classic tale. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.