THE ENCHANTED BOOK: A Tale from Krakow

by Janina Porazinska ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1987

A Polish folk tale, translated into English for the first time, awkwardly follows the traditional path. A miller's three beautiful daughters (the eldest, vain; the middle, flighty; the youngest, industrious and good-hearted) are enticed by a wicked magician to his underground kingdom with the help of a golden apple. The youngest daughter saves her sisters and other ensorcelled maidens because she alone can read the spell in the enchanted book that will release them. Brett's illustrations, ""inspired by Polish papercuts and folk motifs,"" are brilliantly colored and marvelously detailed, but the faces of the characters lack personality and do not always accurately reflect the text. (The enchanter--supposed to be hideously ugly--looks no worse than anyone else.) Each full-page illustration is framed with a colorful, stencil-like border. Brett's handling of these borders, and the brillance of color and feeling of texture she gives to the folk costumes and decorative motifs, are eye-catching and attractive, but the lack of articulation in the characters' faces is disappointing. Jarring elements in the text include short verses and magic spells taken from the original and forced into English rhyme schemes. Plot details are left out and referred to later, sometimes without explanation. The telltale quality of the enticing golden apple is gracelessly introduced and carelessly repeated, without the style and discipline of the traditional folk tale. While the ""moral"" of this story--young girl saves the day because she can read--is sure to appeal to librarians and parents, the text does not successfully flame a promising theme.

Pub Date: April 1, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S