PRINCESS OF INDIA: An Ancient Tale (30th Anniversary Edition)
AARON SHEPARD (illus. Vera Rosenberry)
Skyhook Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$15.00 paperback, available now
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: The ancient tale of one of bravest, cleverest heroines of all time.
Beauty and intelligence were the princess Savitri's, and eyes that shone like the sun. So splendid was she that people thought her a goddess. When at last she found a man worthy to wed her, no one could sway her from her heart's path—not even the god of death.
This lovely retelling, now in a 30th Anniversary Edition, presents a classic tale of devotion, courage, wit, and will from India's national epic, the Mahabharata. (Original picture book title: "Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India.")
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Lovely, simplified but not dumbed-down kid-friendly retelling of a small part of the Mahabharata: the life of Princess Savitri.
A woman whose entire will is bent to achieving a goal can overcome her father's resistance, can even defeat the God of Death...her power is formidable. So how does she use it?
To keep her husband from being taken from her.
There are relatively few ideas in this book, except focus, clarity, and a cool head will help you achieve yuor goals:
After adventures are had, you can keep your prize:
Is it beautiful? yes; do I like its gender politics? not a lot. All this effort and all she gets is a man? There's lots of those. It felt to me as though I was being overcritical all the way through. I'm pleased the pricess saves the boy, but this doesn't make me think we ought to put this on the minds of second-graders somehow.
But that's some stunning artwork! You'll get happy smiles from the art-lovin' youth and parents.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER: A Russian Legend
AARON SHEPARD (illus. Gennady Spirin)
Skyhook Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$15.00 paperback, available now
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Sadko the musician loved his city of Novgorod, the richest and most free in all Russia.
With its great feasts, its white stone churches, its merchant visitors from many lands, Sadko felt there was no better place to be. Yet he was lonely too, for the rich young ladies who danced to his music would never favor anyone so poor.
One night he takes his twelve-string gusli and goes alone to play by the River Volkhov. Suddenly from the water rises the Sea King, who invites the astonished musician to play at his underwater palace. But how will Sadko get there? And how will he get back? And will he want to return at all, when he meets the Sea King's lovely daughter?
One of the most popular legends of Russia, Sadko's story is found in medieval epic ballads, as well as in a popular opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. It is retold here in elegant prose, complemented by the entrancing illustrations of a modern Russian master.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Poignant tale of love that cannot ever be, of being separated from one's love by things outside our control, and living on as well as one can. It's a sad story, but longing is a human emotion children resonate with. A tale with long, long cultural roots in the Russophone world for a very good reason...now brought quite stunningly to life with some of the most spectacular illustrations I've seen yet.
As expected from Author Shepard, the language is lovely, lyrical, and ideal for that still-alert six-year-old who gets to lap-read it at naptime, down to a truly little one who needs it read at bedtime. This artwork makes it a great coffee-table book, one I'd display very prominently and proudly. Look:
I am more than a little in love with this style of illustration. It is transporting to the world of the story. It gives us a real, visceral sense of the Otherness and impossinility of Sadko in his situation:
In common with all legends, this one is well-populated with interesting folk. This spread is the one I'd spend the longest staring at:
Not inappropriate, invisible to kids, but makes me wonder what this message really is....
Something I think any parent with a lap-reader would thank you for giving to their kid. Grand, aunts, uncles all duly encouraged!
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