Pinocchio - Softcover

James Riordan has written numerous books for children, including many translations of Russian tales. His retelling of Peter and the Wolf, with illustrations by Victor Ambrus, was published by Oxford in 1987.
Victor G. Ambrus was born in Budapest, Hungary. Since moving to England, he has illustrated over 200 books and twice won the Kate Greenaway medal.

Kindergarten-Grade 4 Two more editions of Pinocchio, one of the best loved literary fairy tales, are now available. Each illustra tor has captured well the mood of his version: Innocenti the full translation of this strongly moralistic tale; and Am brus the humor and delight Riordan's fluent retelling. Innocenti's dramatic illustrations, in rich, dark colors, extend and interpret the text, and the handsome design of the book is appropriate to this classic tale. The writing, in keeping with the time in which the book was written, is strongly moralistica far cry from the Disney version with which young children and their parents may be familiar. The long, moralistic passages may make this translation of the original tough going for modern youngsters. Riordan's retelling of Pinocchio is an excellent alternative to the original Collodi version. His retelling, while very close to the original, reads much more smoothly than a close translation of the original, which lacks rhythm and flow. The writing retains the style and all the salient features of the original; however, chapters have been combined and moralistic passages simplified or condensed for readability. This version will be a joy to teachers, librarians, and parents who want to acquaint children with this classic tale. Each illustrator has captured well the mood of his version; where Innocenti's is dark and brooding, Ambrus' is bright and humorous. Ambrus alternates black-and-white line drawings with full-color illustrations in his lighter, more readable version. Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
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