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Yakov, the kindly cobbler, and his wife, Olga, are heartbroken because their son, Mikhail, is very ill. They seek advice from a wise old man, who enlists the help of seven thieves and proves that miracles can occur if we do good deeds.
Gennady Spirin was born on Christmas day in a small city near Moscow. He has previously illustrated 33 children's books. He has received four gold medals from the Society of Illustrators, the Golden Apple and the Grand Prix from the Bratislava and Barcelona International Biennials, respectively, and the first prize at the Bologna International Book Fair. Mr. Spirin lives in New Jersey with his wife and three sons.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A moral tale from the Material Girl,
By
This review is from: Yakov and the Seven Thieves (Hardcover)
I had occasion to read Yakov and the Seven Thieves on a recent visit to some friends who have small children and I have to admit I was absorbed by the book's star power. And the story from pop music icon Madonna isn't bad either.Which is a way of saying that I think the real star of this book is Russian illustrator Gennadii Spirin, who manages to create a magical eastern European world of fanciful architecture and fashion and dreamlike snowy settings using mostly color washings and a trusty No. 2 pencil. The five- and seven-year-old children I read the story to already knew the book before I arrived, and it was the illustrations and not the story that had them giggling in delight. That said, the story itself is pretty good. Madonna's writing style is crisp and fresh -- probably something she developed by writing some of the world's best-known pop songs over the last generation. She seems very comfortable in her role as a storyteller, at least until the last pages, when the story becomes rushed in order to tie everything up while making sure that the moral isn't lost on its diminutive audience. But the kids didn't seem to mind that. The story is about a fellow called Yakov, a village cobbler with a sickly child. When the traditional medicine and the town's wisest elder all fail to help the poor boy, Yakov turns to a cast of characters whose names give a clue to their morals: Ivan the Arsonist, for example, or Vladimir the Villain. The boy is miraculously cured. The point is that we've all got a little bit of Vladimir the Villain in us, and if we are bold enough to admit that and fight these dark tendencies, well, then anything is possible. I am no expert about contemporary children's books, but the moral seems a bit more religious than Mother Goose and the Grimm's Fairytales I grew up with. Again that's a likely reflection on the author, who is famously devoted to Kabbalah, a kind of Jewish mysticism. Fortunately, it is the philosophy's moral values and not its mysticism that shines through. Using the old schoolhouse grading system, I'd call it a sold B -- good enough to consider buying for children in the appropriate age group, but not quite good enough to stop you from wondering if you'd even be thinking about it if it had not been written by one of the world's most recognized popular culture figures.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!,
This review is from: Yakov and the Seven Thieves (Hardcover)
I like to keep an eye on the readings of my grandchildren, ergo, I picked this one up. I am not a great fan of Madonna, the singer, but I must say this is a delightful book, well thoughtout, good story, wonderful illustrations. I think perhaps I have underrated this young lady. She is certainly tallented. I highly recommend adding this book to your childs library..it is well worth the read.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Yakov and the Seven Thieves (Hardcover)
Understand, yes, I am a longtime Madonna fan. I found "The English Roses" to be charmingly written and a nice lesson but the artwork was somewhat more avant garde than found in most children's books. Whether or not you think that's a bad thing is totally up to you. Meanwhile, her next, "Mr. Peabody's Apples", was less succesfully written, although it still contained a nice morality tale, but this time featured Norman Rockwell meets Edward Hopper art work by Loren Long that was just beautifully evocative of 1950's Americana. This time, both the writing and the artwork come together to form a coherent and magnificent whole. The story is about the power of prayer, but in an extraordinarily non-denominational manner. Here, Madonna does not suggest any particular religious affiliation outside of one that is monotheistic, and the message comes off well without being preachy. Also, she manages to envelop you in the tale in a way she didn't in the other two books, to the point where you forget that Madonna the superstar wrote this book and it becomes simply a nice children's story. The artwork is also gorgeous, reflecting the Russian roots of the story, the illustrator clearly drew inspiration from Russian Orthodox iconography to create beautiful images. I do, however, think this tale, with it's spiritual themes, may be more well suited to slightly older children. Don't buy this book because Madonna wrote it, and don't ignore this book because Madonna wrote it. Just experience it for yourself and give it a chance. You won't be disappointed.
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