Review by Booklist Review
This large, attractive volume of fairy tales showcases the illustrations of Fischer, a Swiss painter, engraver, and cartoonist who studied with Paul Klee and had a flair for drawing animals with energy and wit. This collection includes fully illustrated versions of three tales, The Musicians of Bremen, Puss in Boots, and Riff-Raff, while each of the seven stories later in the book includes the complete text but only one picture. The fairy tales appear to be true to the originals, rather than rewritten for younger children. A nine-page visual interlude, Rum-Pum-Pum, a Fairyland Parade, features a series of horizontal scenes in which animal characters from various stories parade across broad white double-page spreads. While Fischer may not be a household name in children's books today, he's best known for his original picture book, Pitschi (1953). Some of his most memorable illustrations, such as the Bremen town musicians in a quadruple-level bunk bed or Puss in Boots making faces in a mirror, appear in this vibrant new collection. A handsome book of fairy tales.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Artwork by iconic Swiss illustrator "Fis" sets this selection of the Grimms' classic tales apart. Calligraphic lines of ink swirl beneath the table of contents, forming a rotund little fellow energetically chasing some skeptical poultry. Elsewhere, a jumble of line-drawn animals cavort across the page, a hungry spool and sneering shears preside at a table populated by a wide-eyed button, and a single page reveals the whole plot of "Red Riding Hood." Using various mediums, Fis draws scenes both hilarious and fantastic, animating straight-on, wryly witty tellings of stories including "The Musicians of Bremen" and "Puss in Boots." Though the text hews true to fairy tale convention (with the usual violence), it offers a sturdy platform for the artwork's inventive delights, such as a spread showing just how Puss learned to walk in those boots. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
In this handsome volume, Swiss artist Fischer's sprightly line-and-wash illustrations accompany well-translated Grimms' tales. "The Musicians of Bremen," "Riff-Raff," and "Puss in Boots" (the Grimm version of the Perrault classic) are fully illustrated; "Rum-Pum-Pum" is a section filled with drawings from several stories; the last six tales each sport a single full-page illustration that highlights the whole story's actions. A short biography of Fischer is appended. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A selection of Grimm fairy tales showcases the late Fischer's illustrations."The Musicians of Bremen" displays Fischer's signature lively, minimalist black outlines brushed with bits of bold color to represent the clever animal musicians, judiciously arranged across pure white backgrounds. For night drama, the animals appear as black silhouettes against dark blue. In "Riff-Raff," Fisher draws the self-indulgent rooster and hen with rougher, freer lines and uses what looks like colored pencil in muted hues instead of ink, orchestrating their hilarious antics against his preferred white backdrop. The wily, heroic cat in "Puss in Boots" is rendered in expressive, sketchy black-pencil outlines, capturing his facial expressions and postures. Vignettes of the cat alternate with full- and double-page dramatic scenes. "Rum-Pum-Pum" features characters from Grimm tales drawn in black pen and ink; they march across plain pages in joyous, wordless visual processions. The final section, entitled "Fairy Tale Pictures," provides the full texts of "Red Riding Hood," "Lucky Hans," "The Hare and the Hedgehog," "The Brave Little Tailor," "Hansel and Gretel," and "The Seven Ravens" with an impressive single-page, black-and-white drawing for each tale, visually incorporating its sequential events in surprising detail. Overall, the vigorous, energetic, humorous, visually delightful folk quality of Fisher's art proves the perfect match for this Grimm assemblage. A brief biography of the artist concludes the collection.A sprightly collection of perennially entertaining Grimm tales introduces Fischer's brilliant illustrations to a new generation. (Fairy tales. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
