Sonnets from Aesop [Paperback]

Judith Goldhaber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

Aesop’s timeless tales of outfoxed foxes, hapless lions, frisky donkeys, mutinous rabbits, wise insects, exasperated goddesses, and bewildered mortals are brought to new and vivid life in this collection of 100 sonnets by Judith Goldhaber, with 100 watercolor illustrations by Gerson Goldhaber. The fables range from the familiar “The Fox and the Grapes” to the lesser-known “The Swan and the Goose”; from the outright funny “The Stag and the Vine” to the touching “The Lark Burying Her Father”; from the completely silly “The Wolf and the Crane” to the deadly serious “The Lion and the Boar.” Every generation needs to rediscover Aesop; here’s a charming and readable delight for adults and children alike, equally suitable for coffee-table browsing or, as Aesop’s Gluttonous Fox might prefer, devouring in one big gulp.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up–Judith Goldhaber sets 100 stories from Aesop, many familiar and others less known, into sonnet form with mixed results. Some flow easily for reading aloud, some are awkward in the rhythm and rhyme scheme, a few are quite elegant, and many incorporate contemporary colloquial terms for a humorous tone. The Ass implores the Mule, 'Brother! Please help me with this heavy weight./'Forget it, said the Mule, 'your bro I aint. In contrast, a majestic tone frames the encounter between Zeus and a grieving Lark. As in many Aesop renderings, some tales end with a pointed lesson, and others are more subtle or understated in conveying the moral. Gerson Goldhabers simple colorful paintings are naive, fresh, and often funny. The language and sonnet construct will sometimes elude children, but the compendium is substantial and attractive and may be useful in some literature classes and in library collections where folk materials are of interest.–Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
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Review

“To all readers, young and old, I commend these graceful renditions of Aesop [and] their playfully saturated, wry illustrations..." --—Roger Lathbury, Publisher, Orchises Press; Professor of English, George Mason University.

“What more could Aesop have wished than to address the 21st century in these dry, whimsical sonnets [and] watercolors?" --—Annie Finch, poet, Calendars; Director, Stonecoast Low-Residency MFA, University of Southern Maine.

"As a vehicle for fables, Goldhaber's choice of the sonnet was inspired. Fourteen lines is just the right length." --Paul Preuss, LBNL View

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Ribbonweed Press (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976155400
• ISBN-13: 978-0976155409
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Classic in the Making, February 14, 2010

By 

Jenny Gumpertz (Palm Desert CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sonnets from Aesop (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book, meant I'm sure as much for adults as for children. The sonnets are humorous but graceful, and true to the intent of the original fables. The colorful paintings are heart-filling, totally satisfying, a wonderful fit with the poetry. If there were ten stars to be awarded, I'd give it a ten!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Truly Magical Book!, December 30, 2009

By 

John Howard Reid (Wyong, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sonnets from Aesop (Paperback)

"Magical", "spellbinding", "entrancing" are words that immediately come to my mind at first sight of this beautifully printed, overwhelmingly colorful book in which the poet Judith Goldhaber's inspired words are superbly matched by delightfully bizarre yet thoroughly enchanting illustrations by her husband, Gerson Goldhaber.

It's hard to pick favorites from the 100 Aesop fables given new life in this wonderful collection, but I must admit a partiality for "Belling the Cat" in which "a parliament of mice" conceive a supposedly foolproof scheme to keep their enemy at bay: "Let's place around her neck some small device -- a bell, perhaps -- that sounds a warning note." Alas, like many bright schemes, it all comes to naught. "Who'll place that lavaliere around her neck? Is there a volunteer?"

Another cat fable I love in both words and picture is "The Fox and the Cat" in which the cat gains the upper hand over a boastful fox: "I know a thousand tricks with which I easily outwit my foes." The poor feline has only one. "I guess I'm dumb!" she exclaims while nimbly scampering up a tree. "Meanwhile the fox, confused by indecision, was quickly seized and carried off to prison."

"Sonnets from Aesop" is such an utterly charming and picturesque work that you simply can't put it down. You find yourself gazing in wonder at Gerson's luminous illustrations over and over as you read and recite Judith's rhyme-tingling text.