King Midas and the Golden Touch (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Kinuko Y. Craft (Illustrator) "There once lived a very rich king called Midas who believed that nothing was more precious than gold..." (more)
Key Phrases: golden touch, King Midas

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The mother-daughter duo that produced Cupid and Psyche sumptuously interprets a familiar Greek myth. A note at the beginning explains that the text is inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne's retelling, and it is structured like a fairy tale. Midas's kindness to a stranger earns him his ill-fated wish; Midas's love for his daughter inspires his remorse; and in the end, he is magically redeemed. The author writes fluidly and capaciously, invoking castle rose gardens and secret chambers of treasure. The lavish oil-over-watercolor paintings, said to be set in the Middle Ages, make overtures to the Renaissance in their lush compositional style and the characters' costumes. As Kinuko Craft's admirers will expect, her attention to detail is unflagging: embroidered, jeweled clothes almost seem to rustle, and the palace's columns, stairways and arches form dizzying arcades. At first her gold palette dazzles, but as the insidious gilt trail extinguishes the vibrant range of colors, the dark side of Midas's supposed good fortune is manifested as clearly in the pictures as in the text. A regal treatment. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-Like the previous Craft collaboration, Cupid and Psyche (Morrow, 1996), this gloriously and elaborately illustrated Midas is faithful to the myth (in Hawthorne's redaction). A sharp eye will spot a few Anatolian visual clues in an otherwise baroquely splendid fantasy of a medieval court, rendered in meticulous detail. Excess never looked better. Libraries with budgets of gold might want both this volume and John Stewig's King Midas (Holiday, 1999), illustrated by Omar Rayyan: they make a fascinating and instructive pair. Lacking the Midas touch, librarians must choose between the essentially conservative Craft approach, as unsurprising and toothsome as Turkish delight, and Stewig's much more flavorful and inventive recipe. If readers want the Hollywood spectacular, Craft is for them, but the innovative team of Stewig and Rayyan would get my vote in a heartbeat.
Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688131654
• ISBN-13: 978-0688131654
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #110,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #69 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Greek & Roman
  #71 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Children's Books > Greek & Roman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking artwork enhances a classic tale, January 27, 2001

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"King Midas and the Golden Touch," retold by Charlotte Craft with illustrations by K.Y. Craft, is an outstanding version of a classic tale. Although you may have read or seen versions of this story before, this book is truly special.

The story of King Midas, who gains the power to turn anything he touches to gold, is a tale with an important lesson. The story teaches us to not be greedy, and to treasure the people and things that we take for granted. These are important ideas for both children and adults. Charlotte Craft presents this story in straightforward, yet elegant language. A typical line: "The roses glistened with the morning dew, and their scent gently perfumed the air."

But it is Kinuko Y. Craft's breathtaking artwork that really brings magic to this collaboration. Each illustration looks like a classic painting by an old master--lovingly detailed and alive with rich colors. K.Y. Craft's realistic portrayals of people, animals, and plants are an effective complement to the fantasy elements of the story. This book is both a timeless tale and a stunning work of art.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book with pictures helps the reader to enjoy the story, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This elaborately illustrated book helps the reader enjoy the story of King Midas and his golden touch. The pictures will draw the reader first. The story is well written and the page lay-out is pleasing to the eye. It will interest students and teachers alike. Highly reccommended for grades 1 - 4.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEYOND A DOUBT, THE ILLUSTRATIONS MAKE THIS BOOK, September 16, 2006

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

The tale told here is well done and is a good rendering but in this case, the wonderfully detailed and golden illustrations make the book. I found that as I read each page to the children, if I paused and had them study each and ever picture, the questions would start flying. Each child saw something new in each picture and the discussion went on and on which is a good thing. It make the kids actually think. The tale of course is a good one with several lessons to be learned. Old tales are quite often the best ones as they have stood the test of time and this is a perfect example of this. Highly recommend this one.