For centuries, readers have been fascinated by the stories of the Arabian Nights. Perhaps the best-known is Sindbad the Sailor. He discovers an island paradise, but it is actually a giant whale. He sees a huge mountain. It is, in fact, the egg of the famous Roc, a bird so huge that she can carry an elephant in her talons. Sindbad manages to escape from Roc’s nest by tying his turban to the bird’s leg and is transported to the final adventure in this volume: the Valley of Diamonds. It is a story of high adventure and wit overcoming any obstacle.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Zeman (The Last Quest of Gilgamesh) focuses primarily on the second voyage of Sindbad the Sailor for her retelling, which strikes the informal tone that Shahrazad might have adopted when she first relayed the adventures to King Shahriyar. But it's the illustrations that will carry the stories in readers' minds. Zeman sets the scene, explaining that Shahrazad told the 1,001 tales in order to save her life, but she pairs the information with a portrait of the king asleep on his bride's lap. In succeeding spreads, the artwork incorporates many motifs from Persian rugs: a border of exotic birds frames the meeting between Sindbad the Porter and Sindbad the Sailor; a background of hunters on horseback, foxes and prancing deer decorates the volume's most elegant painting, a portrait of the young Sindbad. A strong use of perspective emphasizes the sailor's precarious position when a vulture unwittingly saves Sindbad from the viper-filled Valley of Diamonds and drops him onto the branch of a tree atop a cliff. At times the integrity of the compositions founders due to bug-eyed caricatures of Sindbad and other characters. However, the volume ends on a note of strength with an ornate depiction of Sindbad the Porter's intimate audience with Sindbad the Sailor, and thus brings readers full circle to the importance and magic of storytelling. Ages 6-up. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-A retelling from The Thousand and One Nights that links together two of the seven voyages of Sindbad the Sailor. Here readers follow the intrepid Arab as he mistakes a giant whale for an island paradise, is carried off by the eagle Roc, and escapes from a valley filled with snakes and diamonds. While not quite the rival of Shahrazad, Zeman does an admirable job of conveying the earthy spirit and atmosphere of the tale, which endures as one of the most compelling adventure yarns ever penned. The richly detailed, gold-toned illustrations are done in the style of Persian carpets, each one surrounded by an elegant border. An author's note supplies not only background on the tales themselves but also information on Zeman's research for both text and illustrations. This is an excellent way to expose children who frequently know these stories only through cartoons to the genuine article.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Exciting Book For Kids,
By Fairy Godmother's Bookshelf (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sindbad: From the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights (Paperback)
This book covers two of Sindbad's seven voyages. Children who like exciting adventure stories will be thrilled by Sindbad's visit to the mysterious island that turns out be a gigantic whale, his ride on the talons of the great Roc, and his escape from the pit of vipers with pockets full of precious diamonds. The beautiful illustrations are bordered with motifs from Persian rugs, capturing the Arabian flavor of Shahrazad's tale.
4.0 out of 5 stars
First in the Sindbad Trilogy,
By
This review is from: Sindbad: From the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights (Paperback)
Ludmila Zeman is a brilliant artist and solid storyteller. This beginning book in her Sindbad trilogy tells of two events on Sindbad's seven voyages. But first Zeman sets the scene by very briefly telling us the story of Shahrazad and how she saved her life by telling stories such as these to a cruel king. This book tells tales of how Sindbad mistook a whale for an island, how he mistook a Roc's egg for a mountain and was carried by that Roc into a pit of jewels and deadly serpents. While the story, of course is entertaining, the illustration is breathtaking. Ms. Zeman explains in an Author's Note at the back how she "wanted to recognize Persian influence in the art of book illustration, calligraphy, layout, illumination, and border decoration." Thus she has created illustrations of high detail and authentic ethnicity to accompany the tale, truly blending the art with the story to bring a credible presentation of a Persian legend.
While the publisher has recommend the book for ages 6+, I think the writing style is somewhat mature for the younger audience, and even though this is a picture book, I personally would recommend for ages 8 and up. No one is too old to read this tale, appreciate the art and glean information from the Author's Note.
1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Charming Art,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Sindbad (English): From the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights (Hardcover)
The art in this book is very charming, but we found the story-telling to be a bit stiff in places. Still, it's a great way to introduce younger children to Sindbad.
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