Customer Reviews

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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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.

"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.

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.