The Tale of Tsar Saltan [Hardcover]

Alexander Pushkin (Author), Gennady Spirin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

Betrayed by her jealous sisters, a Tsarina and her infant son are marooned on a barren island until a magical swan helps them regain their rightful heritage.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though born into different centuries, these two prodigious Russian talents cast the same spell over their audience. Pushkin's fairy tale gleams with magic and wonder, and Spirin (The Frog Princess) mirrors his countryman's sensibility, his enchanted watercolors once again displaying the breathtaking delicacy of spun gold. The story is one of betrayal by two jealous sisters whose younger sister marries Tsar Saltan. They hatch a scheme to drown the tsarina and her son; unbeknownst to the sisters (and the tsar), mother and son are aided by a magical swan, who eventually helps reunite the royal family and?transformed into a beautiful princess?marries the tsarevitch. Spirin's intricate illustrations resonate with splendor and joyful pride in the Russian aesthetic heritage. He lovingly details rich brocades and chains of mail; he borders the text with arc-shaped panels above and elegant decorations below. Under Spirin's guidance, the story, superb on its own, simply soars. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6?Three sisters sit near a window and dream of marrying the tsar. Suddenly he appears in their room; he has overheard the youngest girl's wish to have a strong, brave son. Touched by what he has heard, he declares that he will marry her. Not wishing to separate her from her sisters, he invites the others to the court, one as a cook and one as a weaver, according to their expressed desires for fine food and clothes. But, as in all good folk tales, jealousy enters the picture. When the tsarina gives birth to a fine son, her sisters plot her downfall, and have her and her child placed in a barrel and sent out to sea. But enchantment and good nature overcome mean-spiritedness in the end, and the tsar is reunited with his wife and child. The real enchantments in this book are Spirin's illustrations. Each picture is richly detailed and full of expression. Both text and pictures are enhanced by curved borders that depict background scenes. The endpapers are especially dramatic, showing a barrel washing ashore through a pounding surf. Spirin's work reflects the Russian origins of the story with the opulence of the tsar's court and remarkable detail in costume and architecture. Children will delight in the righteous revenge of the tsar's son when, disguised as various insects, he stings his aunts' eyes. A satisfying and charming addition.?Connie C. Rockman, formerly at Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803720017
• ISBN-13: 978-0803720015
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST for any child's library!, June 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully done book with exceptional illustrations. It has a magical feel to it that really will intrigue the child as well as the adult. It is perfect for girl or boy readers because of its classic fairy tale storyline. Loved it, and so did my son!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lavishly-Illustrated Fairy Tale, September 18, 2003

By 

Nicholas Dollak "Author/Illustrator - Jenna o... - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Hardcover)

In the first few decades of the 19th Century, the great Russian Poet Alexander Pushkin wrote a number of fairy stories in verse, among them a gem called The Tale of Tsar Saltan. The story has remained popular for nearly two hundred years, and was staged as an opera in 1900 by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. However, few American children have had the pleasure of hearing or reading this beloved Russian story.
Dial Books has adapted an English version of the tale from a translation by Pauline Hejl, and illuminated it with illustrations by the Russian-born artist Gennady Spirin.
Tsar Saltan is a mini-epic that begins with three sisters, the youngest of whom marries the Tsar himself. Her sisters become jealous of her, however; and when she gives birth to a son, the Prince Guidon, her sisters arrange to have mother and child sealed up in a barrel and cast into the sea. Fortunately, an enchanted swan appears who helps the castaways to reclaim their lives.
Spirin's luminous illustrations are full of energy and detail. At the top of each page is an arc-shaped picture, usually portraying a curved landscape, which usually supports the narration or illustration below. At times it crowns an illustration framed by the shape of a window with an arched top. This device reminds one of traditional Russian iconography, and suits the "once upon a time" flavor of the story very well. The use of color and texture is quite impressive as well, from the soft quilted and embroidered cloth of the sisters' outfits to the cold steel of the knights' weapons. I found myself staring at the end papers, which show the barrel washing up on the shore of an island in the night - the sand and spray seem to glow through the dark water, as if the island were a candle dispelling the darkness.
The Tale of Tsar Saltan makes an excellent bedtime story for young children, and a wonderful addition to anyone's collection of lavishly-illustrated fairy tales.