The Wild Swans (Hardcover)

by Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Naomi Lewis (Author), Anne Yvonne Gilbert (Illustrator) "Far, far away, in the land where the swallows fly during our winter, there lived a king who had eleven sons and one daughter, Elisa..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A wicked stepmother has cast the beautiful princess Elisa out of the palace and turned Elisa's 11 brothers into swans. So begins this lengthy, sentimental retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's well-loved tale. In elaborate particulars Hautzig covers the evil queen's depredations and the loving princess's valiant quest to restore her brothers to human form. But because she delivers her account so thoroughly, taking the reader from Elisa's solitary journey to her meeting with the swans to her learning the secret of the stepmother's spell, from her imprisonment on charges of witchcraft to the eventual happy ending, her narration is a bit sluggish even by fairy-tale standards. Elisa's vows to learn patience and insistent goodness, meanwhile, strike a falsely inspirational note in the otherwise moving story. Kaila, with whom Hautzig collaborated on an edition of Thumbelina , favors delicate watercolors in misty hues of green and rose, with the deliberately flat look of early Renaissance religious art. But because they render Elisa's world in such quiet miniature, they bear little stylistic connection to the story. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Gr. 1-3. Emblazoned with a gold seal marked "bicentennial edition," a reminder of the 200th anniversary of Andersen's birth on April 2, 2005, this picture book presents his version of the folktale "The Wild Swans." After a king remarries unwisely, his new wife sends his little daughter, Elisa, to live among the peasants and transforms his 11 sons into swans, who fly away. When Elisa turns 15, she begins a quest to find her brothers and learns that she can free them from the wicked queen's spell by making them shirts from stinging nettles while keeping a vow of silence. Weaving its own benevolent spell through Lewis' fluid translation, the tale is a good choice for reading aloud. Gilbert's detailed, colored-pencil illustrations use fine stokes of color to create detailed scenes that many young princess-story fans will find beguiling. A graceful, dramatic version of a classic. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Barefoot Books; Bct edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841481645
• ISBN-13: 978-1841481647
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #969,710 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a wonderful & unique story!!, May 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wild Swans (Hardcover)

I have owned this book since I was a yong child and has always been one of my favorites. It has all of the trimmings, a wickid step mother and all!

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book In My Little Girls Library, April 29, 2009

By	Brett A. Hurt (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Wild Swans (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my daughter while at Capezio getting her new dance outfits. I did not know anything about the book, but loved the artwork inside. The first time I read it, I was amazed at what a beautiful and creative story it was. And it did keep my 4 year old's attention. We would look at the art work after reading each page and talked about it. It is my favorite story, a bit long, but whenever she picks it out for me to read at night I can never say no... no matter how late it is. I highly recommend the reading at any age, the artwork alone can ignite the imagination!

5.0 out of 5 stars Childhood Favorite!, December 16, 2008

By	Stephanie Finch - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Wild Swans (Hardcover)

I checked this book out from the library time and time again as a child. It was just awesome! Another book I enjoyed and still have today is Porcupine Stew about a boy who follows a porcupine into a field and comes out in a town of animals. I highly recommend both books!