Product Description

Betrayed by his own father, the infant son of a lowly miller narrowly escapes death and is lovingly adopted by a faithful she-bear. Raised on her nourishing milk, the boy becomes the strongest man in the land -- and the only one brave enough to battle the kingdom's bloodthirsty three-headed dragon. Yet it is wit, not just courage and might, that the hero must employ to win his true desire: the delicate hand of a princess already betrothed to another.

Nothing could be more delicious than the marvelous quest that ensues -- a tale of romantic valor, stolen glory, and sweet justice. Caldecott Medalist Trina Schart Hyman has created a pictorial drama that is alive with good humor and splendid characters as forever memorable as Howard Pyle's timeless story. Here is a winning revival from the classic book The Wonder Clock that will surely be savored again and again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #726665 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-26
• Released on: 1997-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 48 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4. A stouthearted miller's son who was abandoned at birth is raised by a devoted she-bear and fulfills his destiny by marrying the princess. Elegant, bordered paintings mix fairy-tale romance with modern-day wit.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
""Bearskin, the first story in Howard Pyle's book of literary fairy tales, "The Wonder Clock, is an agreeable tale incorporating several familiar mythic and folkloric elements. As the result of a wise man's prediction that a miner's baby will marry the princess, her father the king orders the baby's death, but the child is set adrift in a basket by a compassionate huntsman. Found and nurtured by a she-bear, Bearskin grows to be immensely brave and strong. He rescues his princess from a dragon and manages, by guile, to marry her. Howard Pyle was one of the greatest and most famous of nineteenth-century American children's illustrators, but his illustrations for "Bearskin, though striking, are few and rather stilted. Hyman's many lively paintings not only add a sense of the progression of the tale and provide remarkably clear characterization but also seem to marry Pyle's mannered and rather archaic literary style to a more contemporary context. Hyman has chosen to present her characters multi-ethnically--Bearskin himself is clearly of Asian origin, the princess has a black mother and a white father, and even the she-bear has a very human aspect. Although this could have seemed like p.c. overload, the world we are shown is a place of such harmony and unity that anyone would be happy to dwell in it."
"--Horn Book

."..rich and descriptive...full of humor and goodness rewarded.... A choice selection for reading aloud and storytelling."
"--School Library Journal

"Hyman proves her mastery ... infuses these memorable characters with just the right visual touches of humor and intelligence to meet the standards of Pyle's classic Americantale."
"Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews

Not the story I was expecting, but good.
For any lovers of American folklore, this is not the story of the soldier who makes a deal with the devil. It is, however, a fun and enlightening story with the slightly didactic approach of earlier "fairy tale" authors.

The main selling point is Hyman's vibrant illustrations. An experienced artist whose original forte was portaiture, Hyman makes every character in the storybook a real person, not an idealized view. Moreover, the cast is multi-racial. Overall, a great story book for kids or adults looing for somethign a little different.

bearskin
This book is about a boy who gets betrayed by his father.The father place the baby in a basket and tossed it on the river .The basket gets picked up by a she-bear and adopted the little baby.When the baby was full grown he became the strongest man in town.

My favorite character in this book is the she-bear, because
she is caring and also helpful. I like this book because it reminds me of my life when I was a baby. My mom took care of me just like the she-bear taking care of the little boy.

decent story; good pictures
this is a decent retelling of howard pyle's story. the story is standard stuff and the pictures may not be her best work, but any trina schart hyman fan would like to add this book to their collection.