From Publishers Weekly
With this Scottish ballad, these collaborators present the third episode of their Celtic trilogy, following The Selkie Girl and The Silver Cow . In Cooper's able hands, the story of how Margaret, a fiery-spirited Scottish princess, saves Tam Lin, a handsome young knight, from the clutches of the Elfin Queen, is molded into captivating shape. Cooper (The Dark is Rising sequence) paces the tale well, deftly building to the climactic, magical struggle between Margaret and the Elfin Queen in which Margaret's tenacity--much bemoaned by all the ladies in the castle--carries the day. Unfortunately, Hutton's watercolors are not on a par with Cooper's superb prose. His images here are less distinct than usual, the lines of the figures are awkward and their faces are nondescript. Compared to the dramatic, boldly defined paintings of Charles Mikolaycak in Jane Yolen's recent retelling, this is bland stuff indeed. Even so, the stirring text makes this version a good choice for reading aloud. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-- Together again: the formidable Cooper and Hutton complete their Celtic trilogy that began with The Silver Cow (Atheneum, 1983). This third is from the ballad and story in which feisty Princess Margaret (usually Burd Janet or Jennet MacKenzie in other tellings) saves Tam Lin from the elfin queen. Hutton's masterful watercolors are dreamy and romantic, slightly more muted than in the companion volumes. The timing is unfortunate. This follows fast on the heels of the Yolen/Mikolaycak edition (HBJ, 1990), and his illustrations are vivid and wild; Hutton's are typically subtle. Mikolaycak's tartans are invented, while Hutton's Scots sport no plaid at all--defensible since these are lowlanders and there's some controversy as to who wore tartans and when, but unlike the Yolen edition, there are no notes. Also, when Cooper has Margaret change for the banquet, Hutton dresses her in the same peasant jumper and blouse she has worn and will wear for the entire book. Yolen's rich folk-style telling is predominately narrative and gives background, while Cooper's is alive with dialogue and offers no explanations. Both would be excellent additions to any folklore collection, but if choice is imperative, Yolen and Mikolaycak might win the children. --Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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