A lively new translation, preserving the original's pungently satirical vein, in handsome format. This is a first picture book for Marcellino, who will be remembered in his elegant illustrations of A Rat's Tale (1986). Here, his full-color art continues to recall Van Allsburg in its studied compositions, striking points of view, and sculptural figures; but the cheerful, soft colors, the historical detail honoring the story's 17th-century origins, and the delightful touches of humor in the characters' stances and expressions are all uniquely Marcellino's. The page design is also felicitous--expansively arranged type printed in soft gray nicely balances the illustrations' gentle tone. An excellent edition.
