Customer Reviews

Gulliver's Adventures in Lilliput

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Ann Keay Beneduce retells Jonathan Swift's classic "Gulliver's Adventures in Lilliput" here, and her slightly softened retelling is just right for both younger and older children (my five- and eight-year olds both loved this alike). It's such a great story, and holds up so beautifully despite the passing of centuries. Every child likes to imagine being bigger, so Gulliver's amazing transformation into the gigantic human among the Lilliputians plays into their most daring fantasies.

The real stand-out here, beyond the simple lines of this wonderful tale, are Gennady Spirin's sumptuous illustrations. Spirin never hits a false note here. Gulliver's clothing is historically correct, and when note is made in the text of the different Lilliputian fashions, you realize that Spirin has given all the little men and women ever-so-slightly-different spins on typical clothing of the time--enough to make them seem a little offbeat, but not enough to make them otherwordly. Spirin is able, through this simple artistic device, to subtly emphasize what Gulliver and his tiny friends have in common, rather than the differences among them.

The colors are gorgeous, and Spirin's work with anything metallic--be it fabric, a gun, or a flagpole--is something to behold. Everything glows, and the detail is magnificent. You could sit and gaze at the illustrations for hours and never be bored--and always find something new to admire. Really a wonderful, wonderful book!

The edition that I was sent was illustrated by Kimberly Root. Not what was shown. The pictures were very bland.