Customer Reviews

King Stork

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes, this is a very good tale, written in a wry and captivating manner and most of the illustrations are lovely. HOWEVER, I bought this at my daughter's request for a "beautifully illustrated fairytale" for her 9th birthday. Thank goodness I decided to give it a look before I gave it to her. The evil princess displays the decapitated heads of her suitors outside her bedroom window, ravens pluck out the eyes and dine on decayed flesh. The witch's table is carved with a couple engaged in sexual intercourse and the princess is fond of wearing completely see-through gowns. I don't think these are things most parents want their children contemplating in a bed-time story.

In regards to this book not being for children, I found this book in my school's library as an eight or nine year old. The story, but especially the illustrations, caught my imagination. Each illustration is a work of art with amazing details that you can get lost in. This book inspired my own sensabilities as an artist, and for years I wanted nothing else than to be as great an illustrator as Trina Schart Hyman.

Depending on your child, this book could be an inspiration. Too bad it is so difficult to find these days.

The combination of Pyle's amusing prose and Hyman's lovely artwork makes this rags-to-riches tale a joy to read. Warning: It is definitely not politically correct; feminists will probably by totally appalled.

This book captured my imagination as a child and still does as an adult! I first discovered this book when I was in elementary school combing the shelves of my public library. When I found it, it was old and worn and someone had scribbled in it. It was smaller than typical children's books and I felt like it was somehow special. I loved the decapitated heads, weirdly see-through gown and bizzare (sexual?) details in the wood carving! I loved how dark the book was and as a budding feminist I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the ending. I chocked it up to Howard Pyle's old-fashioned sensibilities and felt honored that the editor had trusted my child-intellect enough that they had left the ending as it was and not changed it into something more modern/politically correct. I think kids can handle a lot more than we give them credit for. I know as a child I loved it when fairy tales were scary and awful and gory. This is one of my all time favorite books.