The McElderry Book of Grimms' Fairy Tales [Hardcover]

Saviour Pirotta (Adapter), Emma Chichester Clark (Illustrator)

Book Description

Enter a magical world of beautiful princesses, handsome princes, goblins, faeries, and dwarves. Here are ten of the most loved fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm in one wickedly entertaining volume.

From that odd little man with the strange name, Rumpelstiltskin, to that slimy green frog who -- when kissed -- becomes a handsome prince, to brave Rapunzel, imprisoned high in her tower, this is a book full of wonder.

Saviour Pirotta's spirited, contemporary language is perfect for reading aloud. Emma Chichester Clark's illustrations glow with humor and mischief, capturing the loveliness and spookiness of these eternally enchanted tales.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4–An appealing collection of 10 fairy tales, including some of the most familiar, such as Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White. A few selections are less well known, such as Little Mouse and Lazy Cat and The Swans and the Brave Princess. Pirotta writes like a storyteller, with great imagery and description, and the lively stories read aloud beautifully. They are not as severe as those by the Grimms, which makes them suitable for a younger audience. In Snow White, for example, in the original version, the evil queen is forced to put on red-hot iron shoes at Snow White's wedding and dances to her death; here, her heart breaks into a thousand fragments as the mirror breaks. Pirotta also adds evocative descriptions, as in Hansel and Gretel: the forest echoed with the sound of hooting owls and howling wolves, which adds to the overall sense of fear. Clark's dark, twisty branches in the forest enhance the mood of this story. The large typeface, generous use of white space, and overall design make this book one children can read themselves, and the artist's expressive illustrations contribute to the appeal. No sources are listed.–Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH
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From Booklist

With pictures by the same artist who illustrated The McElderry Book of Aesop's Fables (2005), Pirotta's retellings of 10 familiar tales has the same striking, accessible format. Large pages, spacious text, plenty of white space, and corner floral motifs provide the perfect backdrop for Clark's familiar, folksy yet contemporary figures. The pictures, from two to seven per story, vary from sidebars to banners to full-page spreads. Children will enjoy the artwork, lit by whimsical details, and Pirotta's down-to-earth language will read well aloud. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416917985
• ISBN-13: 978-1416917984
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of Grimm's, March 5, 2009

By 

is (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The McElderry Book of Grimms' Fairy Tales (Hardcover)

Though these stories tend to have an anti-stepmother bias, they are well told and beautifully illustrated. The bold colors and large picture pages are great for littler listeners. This is one of my favorite books to have on hand for birthday gifts for the kindergarten and under crowd.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating collection of 10 Grimm's Fairy Tales, March 19, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The McElderry Book of Grimms' Fairy Tales (Hardcover)

This particular edition contains ten stories from Grimm's Fairy Tales, retold by author Saviour Pirotta and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. The ten stories are:
The Sleeping Beauty
The Magic Gingerbread House
The Magic Bear and the Handsome Prince
The Golden-Haired Girl in the Tower
Little Mouse and Lazy Cat
The Princess and the Seven Dwarves
The Swans and the Brave Princess
The Naughty Princess and the Frog
The Girl Who Spun Straw into Gold
The Twelve Dancing Princesses

The things I liked about this book and which were greatly appreciated by my kindergartner (an ardent fan of fairy tales):
The text size is large enough that it makes it easy for a beginner reader to attempt reading aloud whilst following the words with her fingers.
The illustrations are enchanting, in full color and can be found throughout the book (at times by the sides of the text, as full page spreads, etc).
The vocabulary used is not too flowery and easy enough for a 5-year-old to follow and understand. I think this would suit children ages 5-10.

Final verdict - a beautiful, well-told collection of some of Grimm's most popular fairy tales (only wish there were more).