This felt like a very traditional fairy tale, and the subtitle says it's Italian, but the book does not include information on where it came from or how far it has been adapted. The "moral" at the end wasn't part of the original tale, I'd guess, since most traditional folktales certainly don't have the woman rejecting a wealthy suitor - however unpleasant he may be - and learning magic. But I could be wrong. The illustrations are historically appropriate for the apparent time period, but won't appeal to most of my patrons who like fairy tales with "pretty" pictures.Verdict: Interesting, but won't work for my library. See the comments for more information on the origin of the tale
ISBN: 978-1567923933; Published October 2009 by David R. Godine; Borrowed from the library
2 comments:
For more information about The Goat-faced Girl:
http://marinskyillustration.com/children/GFGbook/Comingthisfall.html
For reviews of the book including 2 starred reviews and a wonderful review from The Wall Street Journal:
http://marinskyillustration.com/children/GFGbook/gfgnewsandreviews.htm
For some insight on the adaptation:
http://marinskyillustration.com/children/GFGbook/gfgbookblog.htm
For the original story:
http://www.timsheppard.co.uk/story/stories/pentamerone.htm
Thanks for all the additional information! It was interesting to see the origin of the tale. I've looked at several German fairy tale writers such as Clemens Brentano, but never really thought about the Italian ones.
Post a Comment