PUNCH AND THE MAGIC FISH: A Grimm Brothers Tale Retold

by Emanuele Luzzati ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1972

Punch and Judy are aptly cast as the Grimms' poor fisherman and his wife in this snappy retelling from Italy. The tone is set when Punch answers the fish's offer to grant a wish if he's returned to the sea: ""sorry, but I am terribly hungry...But if you really mean it...well, I guess I could give you up for a barrelful of spaghetti with tomato sauce."" But with every welcome gift from the fish, Punch's wife escalates her requests (""It's easy for you to sing and dance...""), until at last she demands the fish himself for breakfast: There's a huge explosion -- ""an earthquake? the music of the Tarantella?"" -- and Punch is ""knocked right out of bed"" and back into his cramped roofless shack. Luzzati's rich and witty collages turn the story into a highly theatrical performance.

Pub Date: May 15, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Pantheon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972

Categories: CHILDREN'S