Customer Reviews

Sonnets from Aesop

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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!

"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.