Puss in Boots

Kirstein, Lincoln

ISBN 10: 0316895067 ISBN 13: 9780316895064

Publisher: Little Brown & Co, 1992

Synopsis

A clever cat brings great fortune to his poverty-stricken young master, in a witty new version of the classic fairy tale, enhanced by sumptuous, richly detailed artwork.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-4-- This retelling of Perrault's classic reveals a talent for dramatic, well-paced storytelling and some of the flair that has made Kirstein's name a legend in the world of ballet. His slight changes--a magic feather, a compression of incident, alliterative read-aloud prose--enhance the tale, but the text's real strength is that it's a perfect match for the drop-dead illustrations. In contrast to Marcellino's interpretation (Farrar, 1990), which features mellow northern neo-classicism, Vaes evokes a world of high baroque splendor and rococo exuberance. Balletically posed figures and snapshot-vivid faces compete for readers' attention with stunningly defined settings, every detail picked out by light of theatrical intensity. Art-history in-jokes abound; identifiable gems of 17th-century architecture (Vaux-le-Vicomte, the Chateau de Chaument) are peopled by figures from El Greco, Valasquez, Watteau et al--while the king wears W. C. Fields's face. Museum-piece props and sumptuous costumes set off deliberately exaggerated proportions and unexpected perspectives. Puss himself is a triumph: utterly feline, regally poised. Original, witty, gorgeous, allusive, this is a book to pore over and purr over. --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Sumptuous, painterly illustrations and a realistic yet utterly expressive title character distinguish this stylish retelling. Vaes's meticulously researched artwork offers a bounteous feast; every element is executed with precision and panache. (A few contemporary-seeming faces do prove jarring, however, in the midst of the period splendor.) This Puss is a fetching blend of human and catlike traits--Vaes cleverly avoids anthropomorphism while making the creature's exploits totally credible. The final portrait of the triumphant hero eyeing a septet of boot-polishing mice is particularly witty--we don't know whether Puss is admiring their labors or their nutritional value. The carefully characterized supporting cast is resplendently garbed, and intricate architectural touches--elaborate wrought-iron and stonework, a gilded mirror atop a matched console table--contribute to the fully realized setting. Kirstein's dramatic prose, set in a becoming typeface on parchment-like pages, evokes a long-ago, fairy-tale mood while moving the story swiftly to its gladdening conclusion. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Little Brown & Co
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0316895067
• ISBN 13: 9780316895064
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Vaes Alain