Product Description

Retells the orchestral fairy tale of the boy who, ignoring his grandfather's warnings, proceeds to capture a wolf.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72401 in Books
• Published on: 1986-09-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780140506334
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
European comics artist Miguelanxo Prado describes his two life passions as "listening to and inventing stores, as well as painting." In this adaptation of the classic folk tale by Sergei Prokofiev, Prado combines these passions into a glorious work of art. The soft, shadowy colors give this redition of Peter and the Wolf the look of something from another time and place. The book begins with two full-page paintings. The first is Peter, the duck, the cat, and the bird staring into the dark woods; the point of view is from behind them, with the reader staring into the woods with them. Turn the page and you'll see the same scene from the opposite point of view, from within the woods, looking out at them. The depiction is powerfully stirring, and as Prado himself says in his introduction: "While folk tales are usually meant for children, they nonetheless possess a fascinating, evocative power for adults." Whether Peter and the Wolf is for you or your child, Prado's version is a great addition to your bookshelf.

From Publishers Weekly
Since its debut in the '30s, Prokofiev's now-classic orchestral fairy tale of a boy who captures a wolf with the aid of some animal friends has been hugely popular. Here, with a nod to its musical origins (an introductory illustration showing each of the characters with his corresponding instrument), Lemieux ( A Gift from St. Francis ; Voices on the Wind ) delivers a straightforward, tightly written version of the tale. She takes some liberties--the hunters cart the wolf off to the zoo in the end, for example, instead of slitting him open to free the duck he's consumed--and purists may lament the separation of the story from its musical score, but children will still thrill to the bravery of Peter, who ignores his grandfather's warnings and catches a wolf by the tail. Dark, highly stylized oil paintings resound with suitably Russian elements--Grandfather looks like Tolstoy, the hunters are dressed as Cossacks--and create a fittingly atmospheric backdrop to this beloved story. All ages.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3 The creators of this retelling of Prokofiev's work have tried their best to bring stage and orchestra into the book (a cassette is available separately). The title page is framed by the proscenium arch; individual musicians and their instruments are introduced; and only after the curtain has risen on Peter's stage-set hut does the scene expand naturalistically to take in meadow, pond, and forest. Large-type captions and speech-balloons accompany copious illustrations (mostly vignettes, from three to nine per page), their pace and direction set by the narrative and musical tempo. The lively comic-book layout counterpoints the well-made paintings. The tone of the text is pragmatic but not moralistic: Grandfather is not allowed to preach at the end, and the appetites of cat and wolf are not glossed over. The wolf is rather frighteningly painted, but becomes abject in captivity and is returned to the forest instead of being sentenced to the zoo. Characterization is fuller than in other versions, and an effective visual comparison of their views of the forest contrasts Peter's youthful optimism with the Grandfather's elderly caution. The book ends in the theatre again, and the duck reassuringly takes her bow with the others, before the applauding audience in the gloriously baroque hall. The book's oversized square format is its only drawback: it is awkward and requires a capacious lap when it is read. This version is richer and more developed than Erna Voigt's (Godine, 1980), and on a different scale altogether from Warren Chappell's (Knopf, 1940; o.p.). Patricia Dooley, formerly at Drexel Univiversity, Philadelphia
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Absolutly beautiful!!!!
I grew up on this illustration and it has been very difficult to find but it was worth all the trouble for my son to be able to grow up with THIS version! Illustration does not get better than this, it is both classic and easy for a child to relate with without being "cartoony". Magnificent!

A great book for little people who love music!
Our children, 3 year old twins, love the music of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. In searching for an age appropriate book to show them the musical instruments that play each of the characters, we found this one illustrated by Ian Beck. Not only are the illustrations lovely, the colors and clothing of Peter, the hunters and the grandfather are interesting to a child. Also, each page shows the instrument played for that part of the story (find it in the box around the text), and in the back a page illustrates each instrument. We cannot recommend this lovely book enough to parents of young children discovering the beauty of music!

Peter and the Wolf connects!
A spectacular visual accompaniment to the music and narration! Beautiful pictures. My 2-year-old daughter asks for the music by name and sits down looking at the book while she listens to the instruments, pointing out the different animals/characters when she hears the different instruments appear. I never imagined she'd be learning words for "oboe" and "clarinet" at this point, never mind their sounds, but she is entranced and easily goes back and forth between the music, the story, and the different instruments and characters.