South Pacific Vocal Selections Revised Edition 6/04 (Paperback)

~ Various (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While the musical South Pacific has won a permanent place in American culture, a prose adaptation appears an odd choice for a children's book. Bestselling author Michener retells the story of the play, which is drawn from his own Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific . The text, with a short introduction and a final "storyteller's note," is a distilled, unadorned version with little dialogue. Emile de Becque's two part-Tonkinese children (which might hook young readers' interest) barely make an appearance here, the story, though the issue of racism in the two parallel love stories is plainly stated. Hague's artwork displays certain technical flaws: his human figures are static and unrealistic, beginning with a bland cover depiction of Nellie. On the other hand, the artist's sense of color and design, particularly in stagey group scenes, works well in this exotic setting. Overall, a muted palette and somewhat stilted prose produce a drab effect that may well limit the appeal of this ill-conceived project. All ages.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-- Michener has done himself, Rogers and Hammerstein, and children no favor by ``simplifying'' his own stories. The musical is based on two of the stories in Tales of the South Pacific (Macmillan, 1944), Michener's honest, gritty portrayal of life on the islands during World War II. Complex and adult, these intense stories succeeded in the musical format because the melodic and poetic line of song can convey that which cannot be baldly shown or stated. In this re-writing, Michener has ``novelized'' the playscript, even incorporating the phrase ``across a crowded room'' when describing the enchanted evening. The themes of love, racism, and war are too big to be watered down and this attempt just muddies a good story and might well cause a generation of confused readers to stay away from the play or movie. Except that probably very few will read it. Hague is a dependable draughtsman. However, in this book, he evokes a feeling of badly re-created '40s magazine illustrations. The result is odd and off-putting. While the island views, full of color and sunlight, set a lovely scene, the people's faces are unappealing and create no pull for their story. This is a peculiar choice for a picture book. Let's hope neither of these good craftsmen is judged by it.
- Sally T. Margolis, Deerfield Public Library, IL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Sample Music Notation [24kb PDF]

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard (January 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881881155
• ISBN-13: 978-0881881158
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,339,257 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proud to own this!, December 2, 2001

By	Matty - See all my reviews

This review is from: South Pacific (Vocal Score) (Paperback)

If you're interested in this, then don't hesitate to get it! This Vocal Score contains all music from the show (from the Overture to bows and exit music).

3.0 out of 5 stars Differents Keys!, September 13, 2008

By	Rachel A. Mazure - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is really a great book if you love the musical and you just want to play the music for fun. I bought this book to prepare for an audition to be in south pacific. I practiced for a few weeks and was very comfortable with the songs in the book, but when the actual audtion music was handed out, it was in different keys. All of the things I practiced had to be changed and it made it very stressful. This book is a really good representaion of the music, but it is NOT in the same keys as the original score.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children's Into to Michner's "South Pacific", August 19, 2002

By	SoFarBehind (Manteca, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: South Pacific (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful children's version of "South Pacific". (Not the score of South Pacific as mentioned in the paperback reviews.) The illustrations in my first edition of 1992 are wonderful muted tones done in a charming old-fashioned style - not sepia as mentioned in the two professional reviews. A wonderful introduction to South Pacic, the literature of James Michner, or World War II history. Altogether highly recommended. (Refers to the Hardback version.)