East of the Sun and West of the Moon [Hardcover]

Nancy Willard (Author), Barry Moser (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Rendered in play format, this is the traditional tale of a spirited young girl in a wretchedly poor household, and the magical white bear who chooses her to share his lavish palace.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the form of a play, Willard retells the Norwegian folktale with verve, relying entirely on witty dialogue and pared-down stage directions to conjure up the world of the Troll King and his captives. Karen is the youngest daughter of a poor woodcutter, and when Bear comes to the door promising riches to her family if she will go with him, she agrees. She fails to break the spell on him--he is a prince in bearskin--and later must follow him to the Troll King's castle to rescue him. Moser provides glowing watercolor portraits of the cast, keying into Willard's modern references (telephone and TV) with his own contemporary touches: both Karen and her father are figures cut and dressed from this decade. From these collaborators, readers will expect the elegance of the volume, but will be surprised and pleased by the humor in the script. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

BARRY MOSER is the illustrator of many acclaimed books for children and adults, including Telling Time with Big Mama Cat and Sit, Truman!, both co-illustrated with his daughter Cara Moser. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Nancy Willard (born June 26, 1936, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a children's author and poet. In 1982, she received the Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She lives in Poughkeepsie, New York and lectures at Vassar College.[1]. She was educated at the University of Michigan, where she won a Hopwood Award and received a B.A. and a Ph.D, and at Stanford University, where she received her M.A.[2].

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (April 10, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152247505
• ISBN-13: 978-0152247508
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Performing Arts > Drama & Theater

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very hard play to do, but a great story., March 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: East of the Sun and West of the Moon (Hardcover)

I got the lead role in this play that we performed for the school. I had a lot of fun. I think this is a very worthwhile performence for anyone who wanted to perform a play. This was a great play to perform and I reccomend it to anyone who wants to read or perform a play.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for children and adults, December 23, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: East of the Sun and West of the Moon (Hardcover)

"East of the sun" is my favorite folktale. Willard transforms the tale into something even more enchanting and the illustrations by Moser are beautiful (most of them are face and upper torso shots of the characters in the play, but the illumination on the sides of the pages and acts are a nice touch). It makes a great "story" to read aloud, and better if you get people to play the different roles. I've found myself, at nearly 32, singing parts of it aloud. It's a fleshed out rendition of the tale, adding a lot of character to the flat folktale people and beasts. I've not bought anything by Willard before and was pleased to get this; Moser is one of my favorite artists--his most recent masterpiece is adding dimension and depth in illustrating the Bible. I don't think you could be disappointed with this (unless you're a folktale purist) and if you have children, they will enjoy acting it out for you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Old Tale Made New, March 5, 2011

By 

E. & C.'s Mom (San Juan Islands, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: East of the Sun and West of the Moon (Hardcover)

This is a wonder! Nancy Willard's wit & skill with words & poetry shine in this modern & masterful retelling of an old tale. It brings to mind her retelling of Beauty & the Beast, another favorite. The poetic portions in this flow beautifully, never sounding forced, & roll off the tongue. This is wonderful for out-loud reading & I can well imagine that it would be great fun to perform on stage, as it is written in the form of a play. This tale's plot bears similarities to Beauty & the Beast: a spell on a prince needs breaking & a young girl is the one to do it. I enjoyed the characters, especially the Four Winds. There is delightful dialogue between them:
East Wind: I haven't a thing to wear. Not a thing.
South Wind: Nonsense! You're always stealing dresses from people's clotheslines.
East Wind: I don't steal them. I borrow them. When I'm tired of a dress, I take it back.
South Wind: You don't.
East Wind: I do.
South Wind: You don't.
East Wind: I do.
The heroine, the woodcutter's youngest daughter, shows compassion, yet also strength & determination. The humorous elements had me laughing out loud. This is paired with Barry Moser's skillful artwork, which lends a bit more of the modern to this newly discovered twist on a fine old story.