Gulliver's Adventures in Lilliput (Hardcover)

~ (Adapter), Jonathan Swift (Author), Gennady Spirin (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Swift's classic novel provides excellent fodder for this intelligent picture book, rendered as Gulliver's account of his time in Lilliput. Without sacrificing Swift's leonine wit, Beneduce minimizes the political themes, presenting the work as a satisfyingly fanciful adventure story. Spirin's lustrous, painterly art has a wonderful air of antiquity, a slight formality which gives the travelogue a feeling of authenticity. With his extraordinary attention to detail, each spread yields a wealth of interesting minutiae. Beautifully designed pages underline a nautical theme, as the text is placed on halyards while knots and anchors decorate borders. Warm sepia tones are often highlighted with unexpected bright spots--emerald greens and rich reds--analogous to the sparks of humor injected into the scientifically precise text. A well-realized production, this book is sophisticated, accessible and fun. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4-Swift's satire has elements that have always appealed to children-high adventure, detailed fantasy, and scatological humor. The challenge in adapting an edition is to somehow keep the author's cynical, political voice and not reduce the story to a series of merry sea adventures. The best of the 17 versions now in print, James Riordan's Gulliver's Travels (Oxford University Pr., 1992) does exactly that. In contrast, Beneduce's book, however lushly illustrated, retains too little of the original to offer readers an adequate introduction. She omits Gulliver's shame at his body excretions, which Riordan includes; more importantly, she omits plot details that are basic to explaining the story's events. For example, readers are told that Lilliput is about to be invaded by Blefescu, but they are not told why. The serious dispute of the big and little enders is not mentioned. Beneduce has made an attempt to maintain the book's original tone, but has edited out its heart. In contrast to the spare text, Spirin's illustrations are a beautiful celebration of Lilliput. His fantastic paintings seem drawn from 17th century court life-the clothing, buildings, and ships have a dreamlike quality as well as a sense of historic accuracy. But the illustrations are not enough to salvage a text that is a bare-bones travelogue, not an early introduction to a rich novel.
Kathleen Whalin, Belfast Public Library, ME
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (October 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399220216
• ISBN-13: 978-0399220210
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,809,428 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic story with AMAZING illustrations!, August 4, 2002

By	Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ann Keay Beneduce retells Jonathan Swift's classic "Gulliver's Adventures in Lilliput" here, and her slightly softened retelling is just right for both younger and older children (my five- and eight-year olds both loved this alike). It's such a great story, and holds up so beautifully despite the passing of centuries. Every child likes to imagine being bigger, so Gulliver's amazing transformation into the gigantic human among the Lilliputians plays into their most daring fantasies.

The real stand-out here, beyond the simple lines of this wonderful tale, are Gennady Spirin's sumptuous illustrations. Spirin never hits a false note here. Gulliver's clothing is historically correct, and when note is made in the text of the different Lilliputian fashions, you realize that Spirin has given all the little men and women ever-so-slightly-different spins on typical clothing of the time--enough to make them seem a little offbeat, but not enough to make them otherwordly. Spirin is able, through this simple artistic device, to subtly emphasize what Gulliver and his tiny friends have in common, rather than the differences among them.

The colors are gorgeous, and Spirin's work with anything metallic--be it fabric, a gun, or a flagpole--is something to behold. Everything glows, and the detail is magnificent. You could sit and gaze at the illustrations for hours and never be bored--and always find something new to admire. Really a wonderful, wonderful book!