Book Description

A feisty, bike-riding heroine, her tractor-driving grandmother, and a wolf with a hankering for Grandma's award-winning wheat berry muffins -- this is not your grandmother's Little Red Riding Hood! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Little red riding Hood
This book is about a little girl called little red riding hood because she always wear a red jacket.One day she decided to take muffings and lemonade.While she was on her way the wolf stop her to ask her questions like what she has in the bag and where she is gonig.The wolf told her to take her grandmother some flowers and th wolf went to her grandmother's house, the wolf tried to trick her grandmother but she got him and the wolf got scare of her.The wolf became friends with her and work with her on the store and he was able to eat all the muffings he wants.

Hello little girl, what's your rush?
At long last the whole "riding" part of the title "Little Red Riding Hood" makes sense!It's difficult to resist picking up a picture book in which the subtitle uses the word "newfangled", so it was with high hopes that I paged through author/illustrator Lisa Campbell Ernst's new retelling of some classic fairy tale fodder.Initially, I was disappointed that she opted to make her wolf a little less blood-thirsty and a little more muffin-hungry.I feared that this was just the latest in authorial attempts to clean up a classic Grimm Brothers' story.But Ernst's tale is better than that.Rather than tidying up the original story, she's reworked it entirely, giving it a distinctly homegrown American taste and feel.Many countries in the world have their own wolves.This one's just an American shyster through and through.

Little Red Riding Hood (so called because she's often seen riding her bicycle while wearing a red hooded sweatshirt) lives in a rural community with her mother.One day it occurs to her that the day is going to be hot and that she should take some muffins and lemonade to her grandmother.As she travels on her merry way, she takes a shortcut through a field and the delicious wafting scent of the muffins attracts the attention of a muffin-starved wolf.He briefly waylays the kid and hurries on to grandmother's house in the hope of stealing her muffin recipe AND the tasty treats.What the wolf doesn't count on, however, is the fact that this is not your typical Red Riding Hood story.Moreover, he's not abut to face your typical Red Riding Hood grandmother.

The story has a nice choice of wording here and there culminating with grandma grabbing the wolf by the lapels and using such terms as "scoundrel" and "tarnation".Suddenly it's the WOLF who's saying "What big eyes you have" (the better to see him skulking about, he's told by a now seriously irate grandmamma).The changes in the plot have been added to this text seemingly seamlessly.It makes perfect sense that Riding Hood would be bringing treats to her grandmother because the woman would be working in the fields that day (on a tractor, no less).The wolf for his part doesn't mean any real harm.He just wants to con two "dim-witted hicks" (his words, not mine) out of something he wants.You get the distinct feeling that this here's a city wolf in a country setting.What he doesn't count on are two particularly intelligent foes.

As for the illustrations, Ernst isn't about to win any major awards for her drawing style, but they serve perfectly within the context of the story.I liked the sprawling views of granny's farm.I liked the ample kitchen in which Riding Hood's mom bakes up some muffins in what appears to be a purple velour sweatsuit.Heck, there's just a lot to like when you look at this book.And combined with a kickin' story, it's a great and fun tale.If you've a desire to give your kids a picture book that references a classic story they may already know, you can't do much better than "Little Red Riding Hood".Try pairing it with "Swamp Angel" by Anne Isaacs for a fabulous storytime involving folktales, American grit, and women defeating furry animals.

Farming Families Love It!
Cute and witty! I checked this book out at the library to read to my boys and wound up buying it for my grandmother!For all tractor-driving grannies or people who love them, this book is a big hit!I love the recipie in back, too.(Great literature tie-in activity!)

A New Twist on an Old Story!
What would the Brothers Grimm say if they could read this?Could they have predicted a savvy bike-riding "Little Red"; or a Muffin-Loving Wolf; or a liberated, tough-talking Granny, who is also avery good cook?How could they object to such a delightful interpretationof their sometimes gruesome story? Kids love this book, and so do I! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A "Princess" of a Review
A classic tale re-told and illustrated by the classic comic book artist, Will Eisner. This would fit into an Eisner collection just as easy as it could create warm and vivid bedtime story memories for your children. You will not be disappointed with this. ... Read more

Book Description

Artists young and old will enjoy trying their hands at drawing Snow White, the seven dwarfs, and the rest of their woodland friends. In How to Draw Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, easy-to-follow steps and tips from Disney artists will have you drawing characters in a variety of poses and moods. You’ll also learn interesting facts about the movie. Learning to draw has never been so rewarding! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A little help for Dopey
As a rookie artist, I was able to produce a reasonable image of Dopey using this book. However, since then, I've used several other "how to draw" Disney books that have offered a much higher level of support to someone like me. This book is excellent for someone who's a little more familiar with drawing techniques. My favorite feature was the separate sections for each dwarfs facial features and then a page for full-body dwarf drawings! ... Read more

Book Description

The little mermaid grows up longing to visit the world above the waves. When she is finally old enough to travel to the surface of the sea, her life is changed forever. She rescues a young prince from a shipwreck and, out of love, risks all she has for the chance to win his heart. Rachel Isadora's glowing watercolors and rhythmic text breathe new life into this classic story from Hans Christian Andersen.

"A fey, powerfully moving tale, exquisitely illustrated."--Publishers Weekly

Awards:
( A Child Study Children's Book Committee Best
( Children's Book of the Year ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Most reviews here are NOT about this book!
Sulamith Wulfing's art is gorgeous!Unfortunately, most of the reviews I see here are NOT for her book!They are reviews of the version Rachel Isadora illustrated (see the "nipples" and violence comments); or even for Disney's Little Golden Book adapted from the cartoon.I don't understand why reviews for other versions are displayed here; it's very misleading!If you like Sulamith Wulfing's art, you'll probably like this book.

Not for Children
We don't need to see the Little Mermaid's nipples.
(I can never understand why the people who cry out that the nudity is "JUST art!" don't notice that it is never underdressed males, but little girls that we have to look at.)

Amazon.com rates this book for ages 4 - 8, but the text is difficult and violent, and the admittedly lovely art is appropriate for graphic novels in the _Sandman_ vein, not for kids.

Yes, it is a lovely story, yes, it was dark to begin with, and no it is not a children's book.

Good translation, pretty (aside from the gratuitousness) illustrations earn 2 stars.

The best rendering of this story I have ever seen
The Little Mermaid. Illustrated by Sulamith Wulfing; text by Hans Christian Andersen. Translated from the German by Petra Michel.

Sulamith Wulfing is a fantastic artist whose work has been sold as books of plates, calendars, and even decks of cards. This book is special because it is one of the few times that her works illustrate a story. Each page has black and white line drawings and there are ten full page color plates. The color plates are the type of work for which the artist is most known and the ten in this book have been reprinted in her calendars and other collected works. The color is vibrant and the themes of each are sublime.The cover illustration is also the last illustration in the text and shows the mermaid transformed into The Immortal Soul.

An epilog called "The Sacrifice" written by the artist's son, Otto Schulze, states that a new translation of Andersen's story was used and that "parts of the story have been summarized." While staying true to Andersen's original plot, incidents and characters have been left out and parts of the story have been changed. These changes raise the story above being a children's fairy tale and highlight its allegorical theme about the role of love in the quest for immortality. The modified text and the mystical art go together excellently to make this the best rendering of this story I have ever seen. Originally published in German in 1953, this work is as vibrant today as when it was first conceived 50 years ago.

At the end of the book is a brief one page biography of the author with an early photograph of her and a self portrait painted in 1953.

The Last Great Little Golden Book
When I was growing up the first books that I can remember owning were the Little Golden Books especially the Walt Disney titles. The first title that I can fondly remember was "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" that my parents bought me. What I remember most and what really interested me were the illustrations. I had seen the film in the theatre and I was really interested in having this book to go along with the movie. I spent many hours over the coarse of my childhood looking at those pictures and savoring all the enjoyment they gave me helping me relive my experience of seeing that film. "The Little Mermaid" was the first new Disney film that my daughter had ever seen in the theatre. "The Little Mermaid" was also the first Little Golden Book I purchased for her. I hadn't really looked at any of these books in years but it was almost by instinct when I picked up "The Little Mermaid" in the bookstore and brought it home for her. How knew the style of the illustrations looked, not quite the same as"Darby O'Gill and the Little People" as I remember. However, life does comes full-circle I suppose. This was always my daughter's favorite Little Golden Book. I used to read the book to her as she looked at the pictures at bedtime. None of the subsequent Little Golden Books seemed to hold the same magic that "The Little Mermaid" did for her. I just found her copy of this book in the cellar the other day. I picked it up and looked through it. I suppose this was the first time that I really looked at the illustrations, I mean really looked at them. They didn't look quite that new any more. They were beginning to show their age. I just didn't realize how many years had passed since I had purchased it. Life continues on with another circle. I am so glad that I still have this book and am able to clutch it in my hands and just remember.

Dreamy Mermaid
I loved this book. I was raised on Disney's Little Mermaid and now that I am older, 20, and have a child of my own I am so happy to be able to show them an even more beautiful version. This book has some of the most wonderful pictures I have ever seen in a book before. I am a librarian in the elementary school in in our city and all of the students love this book. We have had many sessions where we have explored the differences in the Disney version and Ms. Isadora's, which have been very exciting. The children have drawn their own pictures and all were very influenced by Ms. Isadora's. I just wanted to say how very much all of us love this very gorgeous edition. ... Read more

Book Description

The evil Maleficent has cast a spell on the lovely Princess Aurora. Can three good fairies and a handsome prince rescue her? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's a Coloring Book!
This is a nice little version of Disney's Sleeping Beauty, but be aware - it is a coloring book. I thought I was buying a regular paperback Golden Book. Was I surprised! As far as coloring books go, it is a nice one. The story of Sleeping Beauty is told from beginning to end. There is a wide variety of things to color - animals, fairies, people. It's also fun because of the "shape" feature; it's not your usual rectangular book. Unfortunately for me, I wanted a pre-colored book to read to my daughter, but if you are looking for a coloring book, this is a nice one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good story, poor illustrations
When an old couple feel bad that they have no child, they take a log, sing it lullabies and treat it like a baby. Then one morning, they wake to find that the log has magically turned into a boy. They raise the boy as their son, and warn him about the dreaded Baba Yaga that lives nearby. The boy is vigilant against her, but she tricks him and takes him prisoner. Through using his wits, the boy Tishka, escapes and punishes the evil Baba Yaga.

This story is short and easy to read, perhaps a little too short and easy for my seven year old reader, but a good story nonetheless. The unfortunate part of the book is the illustrations. The illustrator selected a 17th century style for her pictures, but they came out looking a little too primitive, and my seven year old did not like them. A surprising error was that the narrative describes the Baba Yaga as flying on a mortar and pestle, whereas the illustrations show her flying on a broom. This is surprising considering that the illustrator and the author were one and the same person.

Overall, despite my complaining, this is an OK book, with a charming story. If you or your children enjoy Baba Yaga stories, then this isn't a bad one to read.

baba Yaga is my favourite witch
If you are tired of witches on brooms, read Russian folk tales, where baba Yaga uses more imaginative means of transport, lives in a house on chicken legs etc... Good illustrations are necessary to properly enjoy the story. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Avalon references?
First I must say that it would be hard for me to let go of this book as it is one of the most beautifully illustrated and retold Sleeping Beauty books I have had read.
The authors use of Celtic mythology and in my opinion is based on Avalon & The Lady of the Lake, Vivianne. Read it and tell me what you think?
Looking closly at the illustrations the Blue Faery wears the crown of the cresent moon Symbolizing a Priestess of the Goddess.
A must read!!!!!! Not short of Beautiful!

school project
In this story the kind and the queen have a baby. So they decided to throw a party, everyone was invited, but the wicked fairy. The three good fairies waved their wands over the baby granting her very special gifts. The first was beauty, then kindness, then the wicked fairy came and said when she is sixteen, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and she will die. Then the last good fairy said she will not die, but she will sleep until a prince comes and breaks the spell, so they burned all of the spinning wheels they found except for one. Eventually when she turned sixteen she found some stairs and walked up them, found the only last spinning wheel that there was and reached out to touch it, and pricked her finger. Then she went to sleep on a little bed. The three little good fairies put a sleeping spell on the castle. Only the prince could break the spell, the wicked fairy made a great forest of roses around the castle. The castle slept for 100 years. The prince found the castle one day and cut through the rose forest with his magic sword. After the wicked fairy turned into a dragon he fought her and won. He went into the castle and found sleeping beauty sleeping...

I think this is a good book for kids to read, it teaches you to always invite everyone so you dont make them feel bad, and to never say something bad will happen to someone cause it might.

Distinctly orginal version of a classically loved tale.
This is a beautiful rendition of the classic tale. The author has creatively added more background to the characters. This gives each more depth and makes their interactions more complex. One inventive twist of the tale is that the prince is the son of the fairy who cast the curse. This sets up an intriguing juxtaposition between the two families and the fact that the princess is mortal while the prince is immortal. The author adds new themes to the story such as the sacrifices of love, the freedom forgiveness brings, and most importantly the eternal quality of love. The illustrations in this book are very dramatic and have an ethereal quality. The total work is captivating and memorable.

A fairy tale made believable!
It seems like every illustrator in the world has done a version of some fairy tales, especially "Sleeping Beauty." It offers great pictures, after all. But Mercer Mayer did something different... he added zest to the tale! He sets it in Celtic Britain, with lots of Celtic motifs added to the illustration. He also starts before the King got married, so we get a brief idea of who the King and Queen are who want a child so badly, and why the wicked fairy was not invited to the christening (and sort-of why it offended her). The Blue Faerie and the Star Faerie are your leading players in here -- once again, Sleeping Beauty herself is fairly passive (only in Robin McKinley's "Spindle's End" is she the active heroine) -- but the tale doesn't suffer. We even learn more about the prince, his relationship to the fairies and Sleeping Beauty, and why he had to love her "more than life" to wake her up. This book, along with beautiful illustrations (even if he does sometimes go overboard with the hair), is chock full of ideas, seeds... images and suggestions that say, "This should have been a novel." At any rate, you will appreciate the explanation behind the characters as well as the beautiful art. ... Read more

Book Description

Retold in both Spanish and English, the universally loved story The Little Mermaid will delight a new generation of readers. The striking illustrations give a new look to this classic tale, and the bilingual text makes it perfect for both home and classroom libraries. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The story of the beautiful princess who sleeps for a hundred years has captured the imaginations of children for an even longer period of time. How could everyone in a castle--even the flies on the walls--sleep for a century and then wake up? This magical, beautifully illustrated tale begins when the king excludes the most difficult fairy of the kingdom from a feast celebrating the birth of his beautiful daughter Briar Rose. Furious, the fairy storms in and curses the baby, pronouncing that on her fifteenth birthday she will be pricked by a distaff (from a spinning wheel) and fall down dead. The youngest fairy softens the curse to a century-long sleep. Despite the fact that the king burns all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, 15-year-old Briar Rose finds herself in the tower where the evil fairy and her fate await her. The drama of the spell unfurls as she and the other inhabitants of the castle fall instantly asleep, from courtiers to kitchen maids. Thorny briars--moodily captured by Trina Schart Hyman's masterful paintbrush--grow up around the castle. Hyman depicts those who died attempting to break through the maze of thorns to reach the legendary sleeping beauty in a nightmarish illustration. But goodness and true love prevail when the perfect prince does finally find his way through the thick vines.

Hyman won a Caldecott Medal for her work in Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, and her version of The Sleeping Beauty makes us believe in the magic of the spell. The scenes inside the castle are alive with color and movement and rich with details that children will devour eagerly. Moods and expressions are rendered exquisitely, especially those of the wild, red-haired beauty Briar Rose. This wonderful read-aloud classic is one of Hyman's best. (Ages 5 to 9) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A beautiful yet dark version of the classic fairy tale.
This is a very traditional telling of the Sleeping Beauty story, based on the fairy tale originally written down by the Brothers Grimm. There is no real innovation where the plot is concerned. What makes the book special is its beautiful illustrations. Trina Schart Hyman is a talented artist, and her drawings are a treat to look at. Each page is very nicely laid out, with the text set within the pictures (as opposed to having the text on blank pages and the pictures opposite, as is common). My only reservation is that some of the illustrations are quite dark and oppressive, and may bother very young children. The one that is most disturbing is the picture showing the dead and decaying bodies of Princess Briar Rose's many failed suitors caught in the thorny brambles around the castle. So I'd advise caution with the extremely young, but the book would be great for slightly older children. It is suitable either to be read aloud, or for the kids to read themselves. All in all, a beautiful telling of this classic story.

This brings back fond memories!
Trina Schart Hyman entranced me with her illustrations of Snow White when I was just a child. This book, with all its wonderful depictions, is equally as rich and magical. I have always loved the way her drawings looked and she was a direct inspiration for me to take up illustration when I got to college. I definitely reccomend it. It is a lovely, well-written tale and anyone, young or old, will love it.

One of the best editions that you can buy!
As soon as you see the cover, you will know this is an edition of Sleeping Beauty that you will want. You actually feel the joy of the baby's christening, and the hurt and turmoil of the wicked fairy's curse. The scenes in this book are medeieval looking and it even shows some of the seasons that pass. This might not be the way that you see Sleeping Beauty often depicted. The princess, Briar Rose has long red hair and she wears a knife around her waist, in true medieval princess style. This is definetly a good change for the story. With it's expressive wording and beautiful, unique illustrations, you will want to check out her other books such as Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and some others!!!!

Spectacular Illustrations
This book tells the traditional story of Sleeping Beauty with magnificent language, accompanied by spectacular illustrations. As in the original, Sleeping Beauty's mother is told that her dream of having a child would finally come true and that she would have a baby girl. The Queen did have the baby girl and her husband was so pleased he threw the biggest and grandest birthday party. He invited all but one person and not inviting her was the result in a terrible spell cast upon his daughter, Briar Rose. The spell was to put her to sleep on her 15th birthday, in which it did, after she touched the spinning wheel. Only a handsome man could wake her from the spell, and many years later that is what one man did. By kissing her, she returned to life and brought the whole castle life back with her. What catches the reader's attention in this particular book is the depth and colors of the illustrations. The position of the text also is very relevant in this story. Each picture is extremely detailed and shows that a great amount of thought was put into completing each page. It is very unique that the placement of the words on each page is located in some form of an opening. The text is placed in open skies, doorways, and blank walls on each page. In the beginning of the book, when the tone is darker, opening words are placed in a smaller and darker area; when Sleeping Beauty is awoken, the tone is much livelier. An example of this transition is relevant on the first two pages of the book, from the time when you are told the Queen could not have children to the time she has given birth to a baby girl. The first picture has dark colors and the trees are scary, close together and representative of a dark tone. With a turn of the page the tone takes a great positive change with open skies, doves, and vibrant colors. The text on both pages is in the middle of the darkness and then in the middle of a window. The position of the text and the illustrations are key factors in determining the over all tone and mood of the story. This book tells such an amazing story with the pictures that words are not even necessary. Children can read this book and better understand because of the colors and detail that each picture possesses. The doves that are used on the page of the birth of Briar Rose and the end of the book symbolize her life and what joy she lived. The colors in general are also used a symbol for joy and sadness, with such powerful colors meaning and representing happy times.

One of my favorite versions
Hyman is a wonderful illustrator and her version of Sleeping Beauty is beautiful. It is one of the best versions since Edmund Dulac's classic illustrations. In fact, I don't have many favorite versions that have been published in the last fifty years. This is the version of Sleeping Beauty that I prefer to keep on my shelf for reading to children. The characters appear real and magical all at once. Hyman is a Caldecott award winning illustrator. This book is another example of why she is so honored. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A GREAT book!
This book was a real treat going through. Loaded with photographs, it tells the story as a script, shows the design of the characters, and then shows the special effects, sets, and other cool stuff. It's a great soveneir of the musical, and if you haven't it's a great book to read to experience the musical if you can't experience it on Broadway

This book is wondefully elaborate and ornate.
This book is excellent. It is filled with gorgeous pictures from the Broadway musical. It also contains the complete lyrics and a story line of how the actual musical was produced. This is a definite for any musical theatre fan! ... Read more

Book Description

Artists young and old will enjoy trying their hands at drawing the Ariel, Sebastian, and the rest of their friends. In How to Draw The Little Mermaid, easy-to-follow steps and tips from Disney artists will have you drawing characters in a variety of poses and moods. You’ll also learn interesting facts about the movie. Learning to draw has never been so rewarding! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It really works!
Even though this book is meant for kids, I bought it anyway. I'm 16 and I really want to be an animator when I'm older, and surprisingly this book really helped me learn to draw all the "Little Mermaid" characters on my own, and helped me get a basic grasp of the cartoon anatomy. I have all the books in this series and I LOVE them all, they really helped my cartooning skills & they're fun to use as well.

My First Ariel
For those of us who want to draw, but have little or no actula experience, this book is invaluable. By going through the fundamentals of the proper procedures of drawing Ariel and her friends, one will be able to achieve artwork that really looks like her, instead of being an incredible simulation. The only drawback is that there are not enough drawings of Ariel, but you get a sense of body position, facial reactions and making the drawing flow. It works for me ... Read more