Product Description

With depth and understanding, acclaimed diva Leontyne Price retells this famous opera about the beautiful princess of Ethiopia. “The Dillons magnificently capture the drama with powerful full-page illustrations that resemble stage sets. . . . Ideal for reading aloud during an Egyptian unit, in music classes, to children attending the opera, or for the pure aesthetic experience.”--Booklist

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #620535 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Amazon.com Review
There's no voice like that of opera singer Leontyne Price, and in this retelling of Aida, published in paperback for the first time, we discover that her writer's voice is equally moving. This tale of the Ethiopian princess-turned-slave, her soldier lover, and their inevitable tragedy is a favorite of Price, who reveals her feeling of sisterhood with the doomed Aida in the book's afterword. Price brings just enough distance to this story of love, jealousy, war, envy, and suicide to temper her passion. Telling the tale of Aida, one of the world's most famous--and tragic--operas, in appropriate language and tone is a task to which Price is more than equal.

From Publishers Weekly
This retelling of one of Verdi's most popular works suffers from the primary problem inherent in retelling any opera. Operas are composed, first and foremost, as musical works, and character motivation tends to be expressed in the music. While Price has faithfully outlined the opera's plot--the Ethiopian princess Aida's love for the Egyptian warrior Radames; the jealousy of Amneris, the Pharaoh's daughter; Radames's ultimate execution; and Aida's sacrifice--she does not provide a plausible rationale for their actions and, in the absence of Verdi's music, the story comes across as thin. Considered individually, the Dillons' paintings make dramatic tableaux, and taken together they form a stunning, unified whole. The art focuses on overall action, not individuals, and goes a very long way to illuminating the motivations lacking in Price's text. Even with minor reservations, this A ida is lavishly packaged and strikingly designed. All ages.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up-- A straightforward, sympathetic retelling of the story of the beautiful and noble Ethiopian Princess, Aida, who, while enslaved in Egypt, is caught between her devotion to her father and her country and her love for Radames, young captain of the enemy army. The Dillons' dramatic, decorative style with their sumptuous use of color is perfectly suited to the opera's moving and tragic story. The book is elegant in its design. Full-page dramatic paintings opposite each page of text are supplemented by smaller pictures set in a strip above the text where profiled characters in the style of ancient Egyptian art repeat the story line. Gorgeous endpapers and border designs in gold carry out the Egyptian theme and add to the richness and vibrancy of the book. All that is missing is Verdi's wonderful music. Aida is particularly welcome as there have been few opera-story picture books of note. John Updike's excellent retelling of Wagner's The Ring (Knopf, 1964), Stephen Spender's The Magic Flute (Putnam, 1966), and Doris Orgel's Lohengrin (Putnam, 1966) are all long out of print. --Ann Stell, The Smithtown Library, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful in words and pictures; a special gift to any child
Leontyne Price has presented us with a treasure in this book. It is a wonderful gift for any child -- or adult. It is told clearly and with beauty, strength and love. The illustrations are an especially wonderful companion to the story. Styled uniquely to the story they provide a gentle, beautiful flow which endlessly illumines the imagination. Although the ending is classically "tragic," this tale of love is presented in both word and pictures appropriate for any age child. My nearly two year old son loves to look at the pictures as I read to him and, I believe, enjoys the story as I "act" it out for him. Certainly, he asks for Aida often when we pick his bedtime story!

Aida - A wonderful literture tie-in with Egyptian history!
Leontyne Price's retelling of Aida is concise and beautifully illustrated. My three sixth grade classes loved the story, but my voice gave out in the repeated readings! I found the CD-Rom of Aida, which features Ms. Price's rich voice reading the text, along with musical excerpts from the opera. (Ms. Price sings Aida, Placido Domingo sings Radames.) Total playing time on the CD is 67:22. I expect this combination of beautiful story, music, illustrations, and singing will serve my students well as an introduction/exposure to opera.

The best interpretation of an opera for children I've seen.
The combination of Leontyne Price as the storyteller and the Dillons as the artists makes this an outstanding book. I question recommending this book as appropriate for Ages 4-8. As an elementary teacher, I introduced this book to fourth,fifth, and sixth graders. They all liked it, but the sixth graders LOVED IT! Getting 12 year olds to tolerate a picture book is an achievement in itself. These sixth graders saw a love story, and really were spellbound when I read it to them. Playing some of the music and reading this story introduces children to the world of opera. Please buy this book for all ages; I have given it to many adult friends too!

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