This imaginative tale about a faerie who loses her magical abilities and her will to live after she is taken captive signals a new direction for these collaborators. Much to his young son's horror, a greedy emperor wishes to keep the captured faerie on display in the castle rather than let her return to her pastoral surroundings. Soon the kingdom can no longer produce flowers or crops without the faerie's help, leaving the countryside bare and gray. When the emperor's son boldly sets free the winged creature, the kingdom begins to be put aright. Despite occasional plot contrivances, Asch's lucid writing delivers a gentle message about respect for others and for the natural world. Vagin's delicately graceful gouache and watercolor illustrations set the action in a feudal period of knights, kings and castles. His predominantly pinkish, blue and green palette lends the proceedings an appropriately fantastical air, while the handsome design--text and paintings are double-framed in a variety of becoming shades--produces a classical storybook appearance. This latest team effort, quite different from their glasnost projects of recent years, further broadens the scope of potential for the creative duo. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-- Despite attractive illustrations and a smooth, flowing text, this contemporary fable falls flat. It's a straightforward story of an aggressive Emperor and his thoughtful, artistic young son who fall out over the discovery (and capture) of a beautiful flower faerie. The Emperor's decision to imprison the creature in a glass jar not only estranges him from his son but also leads to the decline of the kingdom. When the young man defiantly releases the faerie, the land that had grown infertile again produces bounty. Several flaws mar this well-meaning tale. First, the logic is not always clear. Is this the only faerie in existence? Does she control the natural world, or simply represent it? Second, while characterization is generally minimal in allegory, it is necessary to have strong figures who clearly represent various viewpoints. Unfortunately, these folk are not well drawn, and most readers won't care much about them. The gauzy, static illustrations, while beautiful, do little to compensate for the textual weaknesses. Instead, they reinforce a sense of distance and soften the impact of the story. This carefully crafted book has an important message, but it suffers from significant flaws, making it unlikely that it will find an enthusiastic audience. --Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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