The Seven Ravens (PBS Little Books Series) - Hardcover

The Brothers Grimm

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1856180115 ISBN 13: 9781856180115

Publisher: Neugebauer Press, 1990

Synopsis

A book about a man who had seven sons but no daughter. They finally have a baby girl who has to rescue her brothers who have turned into ravens.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Fairy-tale purists may prefer the direct translation of the Grimms' text by Elizabeth Crawford, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger (Picture Book Studio, 1991), but nothing is lost in this adaptation. In fact, much is gained. The original story of the father's curse that transforms his seven sons into ravens and the subsequent journey by their sister to rescue them begins with an emphasis on the father. Geringer concentrates on the girl and her thoughts, thus strengthening the bond between young readers and the protagonist. Her journey to the sun, the moon, and the stars is foreshadowed by another addition-her discovery of the seven little shirts embroidered with the heavenly bodies. They serve as both the catalyst for the revelation of the horrible family secret and as the source of transformation for the unfortunate boys. The sun, moon and stars are personified as a boy, goat, and dwarf, respectively. Their conversations with the child are lengthier than in the original version. The detail of the girl chopping off her finger to gain entry to the raven's home has been eliminated; emphasis has been placed instead on "the psychological sacrifice of growing up in a household that harbored so dark and shadowy a secret." The total effect is a tale that resounds with the range and depth of familial emotions. The story is rich in visual and verbal imagery and symbol, making this a good choice for discussion. Gazsi paints the human characters in a very realistic manner, outlining them in black so they are distinguished further from the settings, which are almost cartoonlike. He employs a range of moods and uses light and darkness effectively. Subtle details await discovery, e.g., the rough, folksy look of the family's wooden table and chairs invites comparison with the icy blue forms of the ravens' Glass Mountain counterparts. A skillful retelling, with notes on sources and changes.
Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

The poetic, immediate style of this deeply satisfying adaptation honors the Grimm tradition. To the original tale about a girl who sets out to rescue her seven older brothers, turned into ravens by their father's unwitting curse, Geringer (A Three Hat Day) adds elements that make the connections between the characters more tangible: a rattle is carried off by the brothers as a memento of their beloved sister; and, planning to travel "as far as the sky is blue," the girl wears her brothers' shirts, each of which her mother has embroidered with a sun, moon and stars. In her encounters with these celestial beings, the eldest brother's shirt is seared and ripped. When her brother appears, the holes in the shirt correspond to wounds in his dramatically outsized bird body. The girl heals him and mends his shirt, enabling him, like his brothers, to regain human form. Gazsi's (Kimbo's Marble) meticulously textured and luminous paintings gorgeously illuminate the fantastical journey. The jewel-toned colors of the seven shirts are echoed throughout, yet the enchanted backdrop never overwhelms the story's focus-the little girl. Her expressive, photo-realistic face is a poignant reminder that her quest, however fanciful, is motivated by an essentially human and powerful desire to make her family whole again. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Neugebauer Press
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 1856180115
• ISBN 13: 9781856180115
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 28