Firebird Saviour Pirotta

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"She looked like a thousand sparklers, blazing together..." The firebird is stealing the tsar's famous golden apples. His two oldest sons fail to capture the bird, so their younger brother, Ivan, must set out on a quest to find it. Befriended by the wise grey wolf, Ivan wins the firebird and the hand of the beautiful Princess Helen. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky's ballet. Paintings by Catherine Hyde AUTHOR: Saviour Pirotta is the best-selling author of over a hundred children's books, ranging from novelty titles to short novels. He is mostly known for his vivid adaptations of world myths and legends. Originally from the small island of Malta, Saviour eimgrated to the UK in the early 1980s and has lived in London, Brighton and West Yorkshire. His retelling of Firebird, illustrated by Catherine Hyde and published by Templar in the UK and US was awarded an Aesop Accolade by the American Folklore Society in 2010. Saviour lives in the historical village of Saltaire, a World Heritage Site in West Yorkshire. Visit his website at http://www.spirotta.com

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-3-Large and lavish, this handsome presentation builds nicely on European folktale elements to tell of King Vaslav's youngest son winning the heart of the princess, half the kingdom, and ownership of the fabulous bird. Though the book cover invites readers to "celebrate 100 years of the world-famous Russian ballet," the story is quite different from that of the ballet's hapless archer. In an endnote, Pirotta comments broadly on the varied appearances of the bird of fire in world folklore, but never acknowledges the sources from which he has drawn them. His adroit telling suggests Russian origins. The three princes-Dimitri, Vasili, and Ivan-try in turn to capture the fiery intruder that comes at night to feed on the golden-skinned apples in the king's orchard. The traditional pattern of three continues, and Ivan is aided by a magical Gray Wolf in the rounds of his quest. Hyde's acrylic paintings are soft in focus and deep with luminous portrayals of the featured animals and dusky views of the nighttime and woodland journeys. The book's expansive layout nicely varies the use of white space and painting size. Earlier picture-book renderings and those in collections seem to vary considerably in telling this tale. The misleading plug for the ballet aside, this one is well constructed with a satisfying fairy-tale mix of human frailty and greed, magical intervention, and just deserts-a welcome choice for storytelling and reading aloud.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Hyde's elegant, sophisticated paintings add atomosphere to Pirotta's accessible retelling. After performing a series of tasks with the help of a magical gray wolf, King Vaslav's youngest son captures the firebird that has been stealing his father's golden apples. An author's note discusses variations of this tale, including the one made famous by the 1910 ballet. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

The Firebird by Diaghilev's Ballet Russe electrified Europe with its brilliant weave of storytelling, music and performance. Motifs from Russian folklore of a quest, an enchantment and an evil sorcerer melded with Stravinsky's atonal score for a ballet that still remains in the established repertory of companies in one form or another. This title celebrates that centennial. The full-page acrylic paintings dominate the book with their atmospheric, nighttime settings and elegant gold lines. The text is straightforward, with little embellishment, and relates how Prince Ivan, the youngest son, finds his true love with the help of a golden feather from a firebird and a shape-changing grey wolf. The evil sorcerer, Kastchei, a dramatic character in the ballet, is not part of this story. Remarkably, the author keeps the many steps to marriage moving along in succinct succession, but a more romantic or flowery touch would have been welcome, given that romantic love is its focus. (author's note) (Picture book/folktale. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.