Seven Ravens [Paperback]

H. Sauvant (Author), J. Grimm (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

A little girl walks to the end of the world to find her seven brothers and free them from enchantment.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In one of the Grimms' more unsettling tales, a father's idle curse turns seven brothers into ravens, and their young sister, feeling responsible, sets out to find them. En route, she confronts a hostile sun (which "ate little children") and an equally savage moon; finally, she must sever her own finger and use it as a key for unlocking the door to a glass mountain where she meets her brothers. Sauvant's oil paintings, however resplendent, play up the story's bizarreness rather than help readers make sense of its peculiarities. Her work can be nightmarishly surreal, as in the transformation of the brothers from ravens into boys, or her evil-looking sun-her treatment may be artistically coherent with the text, but it does not serve the target audience. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-A newly translated and illustrated version of the tale of seven brothers transformed into ravens and rescued years later by their sister. Like most Grimm tales, this one lives up to its creators' name. The sun, whom the girl meets on her journey, is "hot and terrible" and eats children, while the equally nasty moon declares "I smell the flesh of a human child." Sauvant's illustrations suit the strange tale well. The unsavory characters are saved from outright scariness by the artist's sometimes humorously bizarre depictions. The moon is an odd fellow with an enormous yellow ball affixed, hatlike, to his head, while the sun glares majestically from behind a frowning mask and leans carelessly on a cloud. Only the kindhearted stars (attired in floppy slippers and dressing robes) help the girl by giving her a bone key to free her brothers. In a gruesome twist, she loses it and cuts off one of her little fingers to replace it. The picture of the ravens changing back into boys is nicely executed. With Bell's well-done translation and Sauvant's unusual illustrations, this should be a popular addition to fairy-tale col-
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: North-South (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558584595
• ISBN-13: 978-1558584594
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,141,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly Beautiful and NOT too disturbing for children, August 31, 2006

By 

A. Lake "selkiegirl" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seven Ravens (Hardcover)

This gorgeous book tells the tale of the seven transformed brothers and their sister. A lesser known tale by the Grimm Brother's. Although the two Editorial reviews seem too feel this book is not suitable for the young, it really is. These editors don't give children enough credit. It is a beautiful story of a loving sister sacrificing. part of herself for her brothers. the illustrations are moody and joyful in all the right places. There are not frightening, children aren't scared by the transmogrification of bird to human, that particular painting actually does a lovely job of showing the happiness on the face of the brother as he regains his human form. This is a classic tale of siblings coming together and truly loving and caring for each other.