PETER AND THE WOLF

by Miguelanxo--Adapt. & Illus. Prado ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998

Prado's interpretation of Sergei Prokofiev's tale is a fine combination of raw power and arch simplicity. The story unfolds in comic-book format, with numerous panels to each page, and the artwork within the panels is hyper-evocative of the dark forest, moody and beautifully drafted, the colors rich and royal. Despite his grizzled grandfather's advice--""Don't ever go into the forest for any reason, because you'll never come back out""--Peter roves into the woods in the querulous company of a songbird, a duck, and a cat. The wolf, not just ferocious but talismanic of the forest's wild state, materializes and makes quick work of the duck. Peter sets a trap, snares the wolf by the tail--although hunters have him in their sights--and shoots him dead (the cluck never makes a reappearance in this version). Peter at first feels a pang of remorse over the noble beast's demise, for it is so necessary a presence in the forest. ""But people are fickle. And their vanity is as insatiable as the hunger of wild animals. Peter was no exception . . . . He now only felt the admiration that the entire hamlet expressed over his great feat. So it goes."" This book is a winner: dramatic, transporting, and attuned to the value of wildness in nature and how it touches lives irreplaceably.

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: NBM

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1998

Categories: CHILDREN'S