Jorinda and Jorindel [Hardcover]

Bernadette Watts (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Once upon a time, deep in the middle of a forest, stood an old castle. An ancient witch lived in the castle, and she had powerful magic. She cast a spell on any young man who came within one hundred steps of the castle—freezing him to the spot so he could not move or speak until the witch set him free. If a young girl wandered too near the castle walls, the witch turned her into a bird, and locked her in a cage inside the castle. But true love triumphs over evil enchantment in this story of one young couple, the beautiful Jorinda and Jorindel, the shepherd boy who loves her. Adapted and illustrated by Bernadette Watts, this tale by the Brothers Grimm will enchant youngsters with its sweetness and charm and not-too-frightening magic.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–This edition of one of the Grimm brothers' lesser-known folktales is welcome, if only because the older versions illustrated by Adrienne Adams and Wanda Gag are out of print. Watts has retold the story of young lovers separated by a witch's enchantments with a grace that is equally reflected in her pen-and-ink illustrations with watercolor washes. When the pair wanders too near the witch's castle, Jorinda is turned into a caged bird and taken away while Jorindel stands by spellbound and helpless. After the young man dreams of a magical flower and goes on a quest to find it, he is able to enter the castle and free the hundreds of birds who are actually bewitched maidens–including, of course, his own beloved. One could argue that Watts's gentle renderings work against an effective depiction of the darkness of the witch's wickedness. Nonetheless, libraries needing to replace worn or missing copies of this fairy tale will want to add this light-filled version to their collections.– Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. In this evocative but infrequently retold tale, trysting sweethearts Jorinda and Jorindel stray too near the castle of a notorious witch. Jorindel watches helplessly as Jorinda, "prettiest of all the pretty girls," is transformed into a nightingale, whisked away, and locked inside a cage. A dream leads heartbroken Jorindel to a magical flower that enables him to thwart the witch. Watts cleaves closely to her source, although the Grimms' concise storytelling results in some awkward discrepancies between text and art; in one instance, several clipped sentences describe Jorindel and Jorinda's reunion followed by the release of similarly entrapped maidens, while the facing image anticipates both events but illustrates neither. Even if some children long for a more thorough visual treatment, they'll still pore over Watts' delicate renderings of fairy-tale scenery, while older readers will enjoy discussing the witch's motivations and fate, both left tantalizingly mysterious. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South / Night Sky Books (April 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735819874
• ISBN-13: 978-0735819870
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,687,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The gently illustrated story of the power of true love to resist even the mightiest curses, August 11, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jorinda and Jorindel (Hardcover)

The retelling of a Brothers Grimm fairytale by author and illustrator Bernadette Watts, Jorinda And Jorindel is the gently illustrated story of the power of true love to resist even the mightiest curses. An old witch turns young women into caged birds and freezes young men in their tracks until they are forced to leave, but Jorindel could not leave the witch forever - for one of the birds was a beautiful girl he loved, and he had to brave any challenge to bring her back. The warm, soft illustrations perfectly suit this emotions of hope and steadfast faithfulness that form the core of this cherished fable.