Customer Reviews

The Legend of William Tell (Bantam Little Rooster Book)

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In a superb style for a medieval tale, Terry Small uses a brilliant blend of rhyme,vocabulary, and illustration to keep the novice reader mesmerized. This style of storytelling offers a breathe of fresh air to the child reader and captures the spirit of the middle ages

This wonderful book tells the story of William Tell in songlike rhyming text, with watercolor illustrations. Gessler the Black is brutally oppressing a Swiss village, and places his hat on a pole demanding that everyone kneel to it. When Tell, visiting the village, refuses to kneel, Gessler demands that he shoot an apple from the top of his son's head. This confrontation is dramatized with such tension that more sensitive readers may be troubled (and rightly so) by Gessler's evil actions. But Tell's courage rouses the villagers to throw off the oppressor's boot, and this story provides a rousing call to courage in the face of evil.

The text is well written, and the artwork, while not artistically spectacular, is pleasing and full of period detail. It's best for children who are old enough to understand that Tell's son was in real danger, without being traumatized by the knowledge.