Anne Gatti

Substance: A prose adaptation of the libretto of Mozart's opera tells the story of Prince Tamino's search for Princess Pamina, his trials to prove worthy of her hand in marriage, and her support for him.
Her mother, the Queen of the NIght, is opposed by the sorcerer, Sorastro, and allies with his former servant Monastro to retrieve the magic seal that will restore her powers.
Tamino is accompanied by Papageno the Birdman, who has parallel adventures and trials to win the hand of Papagena.

This is a fairy tale, which means nothing is really what it seems, and things happen in magical ways.
That also means there is a happy ending.

The story episodes are keyed to the musical selections on the CD.

Style: The adaptation is straight-forward, and actually makes clear the somewhat convoluted plot.
The illustrations are stylized, and evocative of a stage setting.

The book includes a very short introduction to Mozart's life and works, and alisting of the musical highlights on the CD.… (meer)

This beautiful collection, retold by Anne Gatti, with artwork by Safaya Salter, presents fifty-eight of Aesop's classic fables, many accompanied by full or half-page illustrations. They range from well-known favorites such as The Tortoise and the Hare, to lesser-known selections such as The Dishonest Doctor.

Gatti's retelling is competent and flows well, but I would not describe her prose as being especially accomplished. I read this Aesop's Fables - the eighth such collection I have picked up for my current "Aesop Project" - in one sitting, on my morning commute, and the fables themselves "slipped by," making very little impression. Not so with Safaya Salter's gorgeous artwork, which stands out like a colorful exclamation point in my memory.

According the the dust-jacket blurb, Ms. Salter is half Egyptian, and one can detect the influence of the illuminated manuscripts of the medieval Arab world on her work. Her palate is vivid and jewel-like, her full-page plates often have intricate decorative borders, and the reader can occasionally spy an architectural detail that looks Middle-Eastern. Other influences can also be detected, and I was particularly pleased to see Greek black-figure vases incorporated into a number of the illustrations. Well worth the time of any Aesop devotee!… (meer)