Fairy tales
17 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Books
This week we started reading fairy tales – there are just so many great ones to choose from!
The first fairy tale we read this week is Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky. The illustrations are absolutely stunning, which is to be expected of a Caldecott-winning book! Each page features pictures that look like Renaissance art, and the narrative is as beautiful as the illustrations. The kids loved it as much as I did.
I was a little leary of reading my kids the story of Hansel and Gretel, as it is a bit dark – but this beautiful book tells the tale in a gentle manner that makes it palatable even for preschoolers (though Mr. S did hide behind me when I got to the part about the mean witch). It remains true to the version recorded by the Brothers Grimm in their tome, and the illustrations are simple and eloquent.
Unfortunately our third book this week was a bit of a disappointment. Lauren Child is probably best known for the Charlie and Lola books and tv show, and this book (The Princess and the Pea) retains those types of illustrations; but the text is a bit over the head of the average preschooler, and its tongue-in-cheek manner is almost more suited to the tastes of adult readers. It was funny, but I don’t think Mr. S and Little T could appreciate the depth of the text, and it felt like the story dragged on a bit longer than was necessary.
More fairy tales next week!
