Coppelia [Hardcover]

Margot Fonteyn (Author), Steve Johnson (Illustrator), Lou Fancher (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn gives one last gift to the world of dance with this enchanting retelling of a classic ballet. With the vivacity and effortless grace that marked her performances, Dame Margot Fonteyn retells the story of Coppélia, a doll so lifelike and beautiful she captures the heart of a young villager--and the jealous attention of his fiancée. Completed shortly before her death in 1991, Dame Margot's Coppélia is masterfully staged by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, whose vibrant, richly textured paintings bring to life this tale of love and the power of imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having danced the part of Swanilda herself, the late dancer Fonteyn knew this 19th-century ballet from the inside out. With careful pacing, she recounts the tale of a mysterious dollmaker whose finest creation, a life-size doll named Copp?lia, comes between a young woman and her betrothed. Upon Swanilda's first appearance, as she happily thinks of her fianc?, Franz ("she could barely keep herself from dancing instead of walking"), Fonteyn foreshadows the fateful dance, in which Swanilda, rejected by Franz in favor of Copp?lia, cleverly exposes the illusion and wins back her sweetheart. In an astonishing visual pas de deux, Johnson and Fancher's mixed media artwork gives the pages a rich patina that recalls antique tapestry. Blocks of text are framed in a quilt-like background of fabric scraps that hints at the busy creativity of a dollmaker's studio. The artists carry this theme throughout the book by incorporating brocade and burlap into the illustrations themselves, adding texture and depth alongside bold brushstrokes and scrapework used in applying the oil paint. The European setting, with its half-timbered houses and cobbled streets, is dressed in rich autumnal hues, and an artful use of light and shadow brings a theatrical flair. Balletomanes will appreciate Fonteyn's afterword on the history of Copp?lia, along with the artists' homage to a famous Degas painting with Swanilda, dressed as the doll, dancing about and wreaking havoc. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Who better to tell the story of Coppelia than a "prima ballerina assoluta?" Having danced the starring role many times, Fonteyn has developed a wonderful feel for the characters' personalities. The clever and passionate Swanilda contrasts well with the villain, Dr. Coppelius, the dollmaker who tries to bring his masterpiece to life. His conflicting nature is delightfully portrayed: he is lonely and deserving of sympathy, yet deceitful and wicked in trying to gain his ends; he is comical and a source of amusement to the village, but also the genius creator in love with his creation. Historical notes at the end of the book are brief but highly interesting. The lovely paintings are full of depth and texture enhanced with pieces of richly patterned fabric. There is a golden and sepia tone to them, suggestive of candlelight and late sun. This play of light and shadow effectively gives an illusion of life and movement. It seems the characters really dance about their daily lives, and when they are still, they find their feet naturally falling into classical positions. Pleasingly balanced, the layout consistently poses one white page of text bordered in color against a colorful picture. Purchase Coppelia for your more sophisticated fairy-tale audience or pair it with Leontyne Price's version of Aida (Gulliver, 1990), illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, for a gorgeous unit on music and theater.
Torrie Hodgson, Burlington Public Library, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152004289
• ISBN-13: 978-0152004286
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coppélia, October 22, 2000

By 

V. Charbonneau (Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Coppelia (Hardcover)

Margot Fonteyn's rendition of the French ballet Coppélia is wonderful. It is the story of a young man named Franz who is enamoured by a beautiful girl who sits by the window in the house of the mysterious dollmaker, Dr. Coppélius. This of course makes his betrothed, the fiery Swanilda very displeased. However, things are not as they appear to be. The story has an excellent flow to it and the illustrations have an impressionist feel to them---one can actually see the brush strokes---and are very lovely. This book makes a great bedtime story and I highly recommend it to children who like ballet or those who have yet to discover its charm.

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely, April 27, 2010

By 

A. Buckley - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: "Coppelia": Story of the Ballet (Hardcover)

I love this book for its utterly charming illustrations! Really a sweet take on a traditional Polish town and costumes.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From ballet to book, November 24, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Coppelia (Hardcover)

"Coppelia" is a fantasy story retold by ballerina Margot Fonteyn, with paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. The story concerns Dr. Coppelius, a European dollmaker who is also an alchemist. Coppelius creates a remarkably lifelike doll who becomes involved in an unusual love triangle.

The paintings by Johnson and Fancher are an ideal complement to this story of love and magic. The photographic reproductions of the paintings are excellent; you can actually see the texture of the paint on the canvas. The art wonderfully captures a quaint European village; the artists include such details as half-timbering and ornamental stonework on the dollmaker's house.

According to a supplemental note, ballerina/author Fonteyn actually danced in the ballet version of this story; that fact gives the book an added touch if interest.