Moby Dick [Hardcover]

Allan Drummond (Author), Herman Melville (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

In this full-color picture-book adaptation of the classic, Allan Drummond pays homhge to one of the greatest sea stories ever told. Staying as true to Herman Melville's language as possible, and taking Ishmael as his narrator, Drummond tells of the adventure of Captain Ahab's relentless quest for revenge.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2ADrummond has taken on a leviathan task. In a standard picture-book format, he sets out to describe and illustrate the world of 19th-century whaling expeditions for young readers and to introduce them to one of the most complex and profound novels in the English language. It is the latter part of his mission that proves daunting. The marvelous pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork ranges from small, detailed vignettes to sweeping seascapes, many of which sport dialogue balloons ("Call me Ishmael," "There she blows!" "Beware of the terrible tail!"). However, despite the action-packed narrative, there is no room for character development beyond the merest introduction of the players and no real sense that "the days and weeks and months rolled on, a thousand leagues of blue...," to say nothing of plumbing the depths of obsession and revenge. Youngsters may come away with a barebones skeleton of Melville's classic tale, but the meat, and indeed the heart, of the story remain unfathomable to this audience.ALuann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374349975
• ISBN-13: 978-0374349974
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,237,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Whales

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A White Whale for the Wee Ones, March 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Moby Dick (Hardcover)

This marvelous summation of Melville's classic novel succeeds in conveying the essense of that great work in just 32 pages without the implicit disrespect for the original that all too often afflicts such adaptations. The language of this fine retelling evokes the rich and complex flavor of the original without rendering the story in any way unintelligible to its young audience. I was especially pleased that Drummond chose to keep Ishmael as the first-person narrator of the story; somehow, a third-person retelling would seem at odds with the intimate tone in which Ishmael shared his epic tale with the reader. The bold, colorful illustrations that illuminate this handsome volume serve as an effective enhancement to, rather than a distraction from, the meaning of the text. I suspect that more than one young reader may someday approach Melville's text with enthusiasm and not dread as a consequence of having read or heard this fine picture book in the dimly remembered past.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book, December 12, 2005

By 

Sherry (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moby Dick (Hardcover)

I started reading this book to my son when he was less than 2 years old, he loves it and asks for it often before bed. Now that he is 2 1/2 he pretends to be Moby Dick or one of the harpooners. The drawings are poetically evocative and full of detail of water, ships, adventure and nature. The story line is true to the original and still interesting to this mom, even after many many readings. I highly recommend.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well rounded but a little intense, March 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Moby Dick (Hardcover)

The book has to be good to be considerd a litterary classic. Melvilles book about the obssesive Ahab, the Harpooner Quequay, the former teacher Ishimial and the White Whale is an excelent read but it may be too intense for younger readers. The hellish obssesion of Ahab may be a bit to much for some children. With all of that being said I do think that everyone at some time must read this it is a work of art.