Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring, The (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Once upon a time, in a place where magical beasts still roamed the earth, a young man named Alexi left home to seek his fortune..." (more)
Key Phrases: golden mare, Golden Mare, Yelena the Fair

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sanderson (The Crystal Mountain) draws from several Russian fairy tales to fashion a clever story about a well-intentioned young horseman, his magical mare and a greedy czar. The sumptuous oil paintings take immediate command of the double-page spreads, the sometimes breathtaking scenes distinguished by lustrous hues and intricate particulars. On a quest to seek his fortune "and perhaps to find an adventure or two as well," Alexi encounters a magnificent mare who pledges to serve the lad if he spares her life. The horse leads her new master to the palace of the czar, who hires Alexi as his horseman, yet is bitter that he cannot claim Alexi's imposing horse as his own. Disgruntled, the czar demands of the lad seemingly impossible tasks, among them capturing the elusive firebird and fetching a maiden from "a distant eastern land" to be the ruler's bride. The wise equine is the true hero of the story, valiantly coming to Alexi's rescue in each episode end eventually bringing about the not unexpected happy-ever-after d‚nouement. Sanderson's narrative has a lush, lyrical quality, and her renderings of lavish architectural detail, elaborate period dress and an unsullied natural world will bring youngsters back for repeat readings. Her dramatically lit firebird is nothing short of resplendent. Ages 8-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Sanderson includes elements from several Russian fairy tales in this colorful picture book for older readers. Alexi, a worthy young man, befriends the magical golden mare, who helps him meet the czar's increasingly unreasonable demands. Together they capture the elusive firebird, bring Yelena the Fair to the palace, and retrieve her magic ring. Alexi then helps Yelena work a bit of magic on the czar, who jumps into a cauldron of boiling water with the hope of becoming young again. He emerges as a baby, to be adopted by the new czar, Alexi, and his bride, Yelena. The pace never flags in this romantic adventure. Its mix of several traditional elements leads to an episodic structure and a rather long text; however, the story will hold readers' attention, though each folkloric element loses some of its dramatic force in this blended version. Rich in color and decorative detail, the oil paintings have a distinctly narrative quality that enhances the book . Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316769061
• ISBN-13: 978-0316769068
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #862,177 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice illustrations, newish version of stories., November 20, 2004

By	Kotori (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring, The (School & Library Binding)

A conglomeration of russian folk tales. Alexi the huntsman seeks his fortune & finds a job with the Tsar, along the way acquiring a magic horse, and at the end of his journey, a wondorous bride.

The illustrations are quality Sanderson, as always very factual and detailed, but probably her finest. I always find myself a little let down as her illustrations dont quite have the magic & mysterious quality of some other illustrators such as Kinuko Y Craft or Trina S. Hyman to name just two of the finest.

The story mangages to be quite interesting, in spite of the quest for the Firebird being such a familiar story, and in the end there is a lovely twist in revenge for the Tsar.

Quite good.

kotori [e-mail]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ART WORK ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK., March 4, 2007

By	D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This work in a combination of old Russian tales retold by the author. They will be quite familiar to readers of such. They are certainly no worse for the wear in this retelling though as the author has done a wonderful job. The tales are the typical quest type, my favoriet genre. The real magic of this book though are the wonderful illustrations. The detail is almost magical and the colors are absolutely dazzling. I could pontificate somewhat in comparing comparing her work with other authors, but this is an absolute silly excercise as each artist should be judge on their own works and not those of others. I liked this work. The kids I read it to like it. It is informative, fun and a delight to see. What more could you want?