Customer Reviews

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

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Thanks to Captain Katie's review for bringing this children's book to my attention. It is a variation of the story of the sorcerer's apprentice. It is written as a long poem with large, full color illustrations. It is suitable for pre-school or early grade school children, particularly young girls. The exact age depends on their reading level, but the recommended age range of 4 to 8 years old ssems about right (although I am 68 and thought it was a delightful story). Be sure you get the book with the dust jacket because the introduction to the story is on the inside of the dust jacket (for whatever reason).

Sylvia goes off to become an apprentice to the sorcerer Tottibo, but discovers that an apprentice starts at the bottom doing drudge work. She is assigned to making lots and lots of clothing. She decides the work would be easier if she could use magic on the sewing machine, but - well, the results are unexpected. "It stitched the dishes to the table, it stitched the noodles to the ladle." You get the idea. The sorcerer finally has to come to the rescue.

For some reason good children's books always seem to go out of print. Some copies are available (new and used) from secondary sources at this writing (July 4, 2004). One could hope it would go back into print before the Christmas season.

This book has beautiful pictures and a new twist on an old tale. I highly recommend it!

Nancy Willard has written in verse a new version of "The Sorcerer's" Apprentice and Leo and Diane Dillon have painted the pages with beautiful illustrations that make the story come alive.

In this version, young and impatient Sylvia has come to the sorcerer Tottibo to learn his magic. Tottibo tells her that she has to take it slowly, learn a little at a time, and then he assigns her the job of sewing new clothes for all his animals. However, Sylvia spies a modest bottle full of sand next to a book of spells. She pours the sand on the sewing machine and commands it to sew, but the machine won't stop. Like Lizzy Bordon, she gives the machine forty whacks (well maybe not forty) and every time she whacks the machine it turns into another, till she has lots of machines, sewing and sewing.

Fortunately Tottibo comes and saves the day and we learn our little moral. I love reading this book to my nieces. They love the sound of the rhymes as they look at the pictures. If you can find this book, you should get it, even if you don't kids, as it's a work of art.

This is a beautiful book. Beautifully written, beautifully illustrated. It may be somewhat different from the original fable, but it has the same lesson. A very enjoyable book, for children and adults. The rhyming words flow beautifully, and you don't want to skip the beginning of the story (inside the front cover).