Adventures Of Pinocchio [Hardcover]

Carlo Collodi (Author), Greg Hildebrandt (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

During the 1970s, the collaborative art of twin brothers Greg and Tim Hildebrandt captivated a generation with vivid depictions of characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Today, both are acclaimed fantasy and comic book illustrators, and Greg Hildebrandt has turned his focus to children's books. His gorgeous images bring to life the story of Pinocchio, the marionette who longs to be a real boy. This new illustrated classic edition is closely adapted from the most widely accepted translation of the enchanting folk tale by the 19th-century Italian journalist Carlo Collodi, first published in 1883.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Innocenti's luminous interpretation of Collodi's tale carves the action out of 19th century Italian landscapes. Clearly shown as a mocking marionette, this Pinocchio races through cobbled city scenes and then throws himself prostrate at the personor fairywhom he has most recently wronged by his hasty, thoughtless behavior. And when he becomes a real boy, the transformation is resounding: left slumped on a chair is the body of a puppet; readers may marvel that what lies so lifeless in that scene was the source of so much trouble earlier on. Enchantment reigns in the pictures, each a perfect elaboration of the text. Innocenti and Collodi are equally at home in a place where puppets have life beyond human hands, and where souls may die and live again, resurrected by the power of love. All ages.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up Librarians are often faced with the dilemma of adult patrons who frequently request this book for their children, expecting the Disney version, and, when given the original, reject it as too frightening. But the original version is filled with events which are considered frightening fare; it has frequent violent turns of fate and a jerky, wild plot. This newest version will probably come close to a happy medium between Pinocchio as he really is and as people want him to be. Both illustrations and text emphasize the buoyant, irresistible, and innocent verve of Pinocchio, who is never deterred by the often morbid events around him. The full-color illustrations, both full- and half-page, mostly feature Pinocchio, who here is a cute little marionette with a faint resemblance to his Disney doppelganger. The prose is conversational and would make a nice read-aloud choice. Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Running Press Kids (December 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762417137
• ISBN-13: 978-0762417131
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2005 revised unabridged edition illustrated by Innocenti, December 21, 2006

By 

C. Carroll (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Pinocchio (Creative Editions) (Hardcover)

First off, to clear things up, this page contains a few reviews of other editions of Pinocchio, which should be seperated out by their proper ISBN numbers. This review refers to the 2005 hardcover from Creative Editions. This is a revised version, first published in 1998, this edition features a new translation of the full, unabridged text, more lyrical than some older translations, and quite faithful to the original Italian text. Also, this edition has several additional illustrations, and has been handsomely re-designed. Altogether, I find this to be my absolute favorite edition of Pinnocchio, and I even bought it again, to replace my much-loved earlier edition. I prefer the new translation to the older translation used before, and the addition of more illustrations and the re-design make this a superior edition.

I first found this book in a thrift store, and the inscription indicated it was a misguided gift to a young child from his grand-parents... Don't make this mistake, this version of Pinocchio is definitely not intended for young children. Parents may want to look elsewhere if they are expecting a tame children's book. This is a sophisticated and somewhat graphically illustrated edition, and it is not the Disney-fied version of Pinocchio that many people expect. If you are unfamiliar with the differences between the original story, and the popular sanitized versions, you might be shocked at first. The story is actually very dark, brutal, & surreal, and the illustrations of, say, Pinocchio getting hung in a tree, are really too dark for very young children.

That being said, I still whole-heartedly recommend this edition for older readers wanting an artistic and unexpurgated version of this incredible tale. This is one of the best modern translations of the text I've read, so I would recommend it to literature students and people interested in Italian folklore over most of the other versions available.

The artwork is what drew me to this book when I first saw it. You simply must see these illustrations to appreciate them. The detailed, large-scale, and subtlely colored drawings are a moody and perfect accompaniment to this version of the text. I pick this book up often, just to look at the amazing pictures and re-read some of my favorite parts.

Overall, I am thrilled with this revised edition of a book I already considered a classic among illustrated books. I recommend it to scholars of folklore, lovers of sophisticated illustrated books, and curious readers looking for a dark, surreal and wondrous book.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Italy!, March 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Pinocchio (Hardcover)

I grew up in Italy and this is the real Macoy. Every Italian grows up reading Collodi's masterpiece while looking at Attilio Mussino's illustrations. This is the Pinocchio we imagine. When I first saw Disney's Pinocchio, I was shocked! So cute and kind... there is nothing to learn from the Disney video. Collodi's Pinocchio, on the other hand, is a child who lacks every sense of altruism, who needs to be educated. Collodi wrote various children's books, always with a pedagogical intent.

This is a book for parents to read with their children. It helps remind parents that an apple needn't be peeled, and it helps kids eat the apple with the peel. If you're having problems with your first grader, this is a pedagogical and fun book for all the family.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is NOT an abridgement, this is a great translation of the full text!, March 7, 2006

By 

R. Ewing "The Riot Squad" (Long Beach, ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Pinocchio (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

I own several copies of Pinocchio both English and Italian texts, and this is one of my favorite translations as Ms. Lucas takes great care with conveying the original intent of Collodi's story and characters -- (even down to the translated names used for the characters). I'm not sure what the previous reviewer was referencing, (it may be the review from the library school journal--which may have been an abridgement for grade-schoolers, no longer in print)(???). If you find a copy of this book, I'd recommend buying it. It has the full 36 chapters, the original illustrations by Mazzanti, and extensive notes at the end. A lot of care went into this project, better than most other unabridged translations currnently available.