Puss in Boots (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)

by Charles Perrault (Author), Fred Marcellino (Illustrator), Malcolm Arthur (Translator) "A miller had three sons, and when he died he left them nothing but his mill, his donkey, and his cat..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Marquis of Carabas

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Charles Perrault first published his collection of classic French folk tales 300 years ago, including "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," and this entertaining story about a most clever feline. In Puss and Boots, a poor miller dies and leaves his youngest son nothing but a cat. The son is none too happy about it, either; " ...once I've eaten my cat and made a muff out of the fur, I'm sure to starve," he says. But what a legacy the bequeathed cat turns out to be! The cat in tall boots creates a new identity for the youngest son--the Marquis of Carabas, complete with fine clothes, fields of wheat, a castle stolen from an ogre, and in the end, the respect of the king and the hand of the king's daughter. The story itself is gracefully and humorously told, and the text, set in large gray type, adds an old-fashioned air to the tale.

Fred Marcellino's illustrations for Puss in Boots--a Caldecott Honor Book--are infused with golden light and summer warmth in the sun-dappled woods and beside the fields of ripe grain. Many of his paintings show a masterful use of perspective; the reader sometimes looks down on a scene as though from a balcony, or from below, at a huge charging lion. Marcellino has also illustrated a version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier and two books by Tor Seidler, A Rat's Tale and The Wainscott Weasel. Young listeners won't soon forget this crafty character of a cat, who has a great deal of charm despite his less-than-honest means of helping his master. (Ages 5 to 9)

From Publishers Weekly
Perrault's tale of the cat who makes his master's fortune has never received a more faithful yet remarkably original treatment. Marcellino ( A Rat's Tale ) breaks convention from the start by relegating the book's title and credits to the back cover. The front cover is stunning: the mysterious feline, wearing a white ruffled collar and plumed red hat, stares out with green eyes as compelling and evocative as the story itself. The artist's luxurious and skillfully designed paintings startle in their complexity and beauty. Light and shadow mingle on tiled floors, through goblets, in courtyards. The simplicity of the cobblestoned streets and the peasant scenes are contrasted with the beribboned finery of the court, where the King--in a pink sash and lacy pantaloons--sits on a gilded throne. Like Cyrano do Bergerac, Marcellino's Puss has genuine panache. Sporting only his famed boots, he waits patiently in dappled sunlight for a stray hare or, with apparent nonchalance, entraps the wide-eyed ogre. Whether he is presenting his kill to the dandified King or is coiled like any ordinary cat on a carpet at the Marquis's banquet, he seems both true feline and fairy-tale creation at the same time. From Arthur's clean, clear translation to Marcellino's opulent illustrations, this version of Perrault's classic story is brilliantly conceived and executed. All ages.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (November 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374361606
• ISBN-13: 978-0374361600
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #407,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Staff Favorites > Traditional Fairy Tales (ages 5-9)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasing Puss for All Ages, April 2, 2000

By	Laurel R Shimer (Menlo Park, CA) - See all my reviews

I regularly visit school classrooms and read aloud to children from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Finding books that appeal to more than one grade level is a challenge.

I have found that the pictures in this version of 'Puss' appeal immensely to kindergartners through third graders. (Fourth and Fifth grade children also like it, but are often embarassed to say so in a classroom setting!). Children who often have a hard time sitting still for a story have sat transfixed as I read this book, holding the pictures in front of them all the time and giving them lots of opportunities to check out the wonderful use of light and color. The illustrator uses a lot of wonderful yellow that is very appealing to young children and seems to draw them into the book. I love reading this book out loud both to see children's reaction and also because I love the detail and color in the pictures.

Reading this book aloud has also sparked some beautiful art work from young children.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zee puss in zee boots, August 15, 2005

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the stock of "Puss In Boots" went up when "Shrek 2" came out in theaters. Suddenly that little cat with the fancy footwear was garnering a lot more interest than he ever had before. I've always wondered why this fairy tale was ignored by the Disney animation studios in their heyday. Now if you're looking for the quintessential version of the tale, there are really only two illustrators to pick between. You can either choose the multi-talented Fred Marcellino version (responsible for some of my favorite picture books like, "I, Crocodile" and "The Story of Little Babaji") or you can go the Paul Galdone route. I personally have always found Galdone to be a bit of a bore, except in the cat department. For some reason, Galdone was always particularly good at drawing amusing felines. I'm not entirely certain why Amazon.com has decided to link these two titles with one set of reviews, but just to clear everything up I'd like to state that for all its charms I'm eschewing the Paul Galdone version of "Puss" and instead reviewing the Marcellino version in its stead. May God have mercy on my soul.

There once was a miller who had three sons. At the start of the story the miller has kicked the bucket and the sons have divided his paltry legacy amongst themselves. The youngest son is left with only a cat... but WHAT a cat it is! The puss tells the man to give him a good pair of boots and once he has done so the feline will make his master's fortune. The youngest son is fortunately a game sort (or perhaps he was merely charmed by the idea of a talking cat). Whatever the case, he gives Puss what he wants and the story chronicles the animal's clever ploys. He poaches wild game for the king. He dresses his master all in finery and makes him out to be a Marquis. In the last part of the book, Puss tricks an ogre who is half a sandwich shy of a picnic into becoming a yummy little mouse. After subsequent inevitable gobblings on the part of the cat, his master marries the king's daughter and "Puss became a great lord and gave up chasing mice, except just once in a while for the fun of it".

The book is a direct translation of Charles Perrault's original tale from the French by translator Malcolm Arthur. Mr. Arthur is to be commended for it too, by the way. Not only is the book infinitely readable, but its harsher moments are lessened through his wording. In some versions of this tale, the youngest son's contemplations of eating his pretty puss might've come off as barbaric. Here, they seem more wistful than malicious. Likewise the parts where the cat threatens the peasants with agreeing to a lie with the threat that if they don't "you'll be cut up into sausage meat" strains credulity (or do they trust a cat in boots more than one not in boots?). Still, there's something about the pacing of the tale that works in its favor. This may also certainly be due to Fred Marcellino's illustrations, which are truly lovely. The cat, for his part, is both charming and catlike. The pictures appear to have been drawn in colored pencil or possibly pastels. Whatever the case, they've a soft and hazy feel that compliment the tale to a tee.

So if you're on the look-out of the definitive version of "Puss In Boots", there is no need to look further. If the praise I've lavished on it does no good, consider the 1991 Caldecott Honor it garnered itself once upon a time. A classic tale that constantly shocks me when I consider how few children actually know it. Fun stuff.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is honesty always rewarded ?, April 26, 1998

By A Customer

Puss in Boots is a wonderful story. This book is so beautiful that is like a precious work of art. A great read aloud with exceptional illustrations. Children and adults adore it. Presenting this tale to children takes great thought though. Try to avoid the dishonesty, terrorism, and thievery and focus on resourcefulness, first impressions, and survival. Fred Marcellino is one of the top illustrators of our time. Wish he had a website!