Anthea Bell (1936–2018)

Author of The Nutcracker

23+ Works 278 Members 4 Reviews 3 Favorited

About the Author

Anthea Bell was born in Suffolk, United Kingdom on May 10, 1936. She was educated at Somerville College, Oxford. She worked as a translator, primarily from German and French. Her translations included works of non-fiction, literary and popular fiction, and books for young people. The first book she show more ever translated was Otfried Preussler's children's book The Little Water-Sprite. She also translated works by the Brothers Grimm, Clemens Brentano, Wilhelm Hauff, Christian Morgenstern, Stefan Zweig, Franz Kafka, Sigmund Freud, Cornelia Funke, and E. T. A. Hoffman. She received numerous translation prizes and awards including the 1987 Schlegel-Tieck Award for Hans Berman's The Stone and the Flute, the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation for Christine Nöstlinger's A Dog's Life, the 2002 Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize for her translation of W.G. Sebald's novel Austerlitz, and the Oxford Weidenfeld Translation Prize in 2009 for How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone. She also received Germany's Verdienstkreuz in 2015 and was appointed OBE in 2010. She died on October 18, 2018 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Anthea Bell, Anthea Bell - translator

Also includes: A. Bell (1)

Disambiguation Notice:

Please do not combine this page with any of the authors translated by Ms. Bell. Thank you.

Image credit: Anthea Bell

Works by Anthea Bell

Popular Recent

The Nutcracker (1983) — Author — 125 copies

The Great menagerie : an adaptation of the antique pop-up book (1979) 33 copies

Operation Britain (1987) 24 copies

Swan Lake (1986) 17 copies

The Wise Queen: A Traditional European Folktale (1984) 14 copies

A London Season (1983) 10 copies

Jack and the Beanstalk (2000) 10 copies

Three Bodley Head Monographs: Lewis Carroll, E. Nesbit, and Howard Pyle (1960) 10 copies

Stories of the Arabian Nights (1983) 7 copies

E. Nesbit (1960) 6 copies

The Floral Companion (1989) 3 copies

More Favourite Tales from Grimm (1988) 3 copies

Babar: Phantom (Fantail) (1992) 3 copies

Andersen's Fairy Tales (minedition minibooks) 2 copies

Pride and Prejudice (abridged ∙ Longman's abridged books) (1960) — Abridged by — 2 copies

Asterix and the Circus of Rome (1978) 2 copies

Vasilisa the Beautiful and Baba Yaga 1 copy

The Nutcracker And The Mouse-king (1983) — Author — 1 copy

The Snow Queen: A fairy tale (German Edition) 1 copy

Fear 1 copy

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1985) 1 copy

Han Christian Andersen Fairy Tales 1 copy

Kecil-kecil Punya Karya KKPK My Culinary Journey 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Inkheart (2003) — Translator, some editions — 17,960 copies

Inkspell (2005) — Translator, some editions — 11,036 copies

The Castle (1925) — Translator, some editions — 8,316 copies

Inkdeath (2007) — Translator, some editions — 6,806 copies

Dragon Rider (1997) — Translator, some editions — 6,498 copies

Austerlitz (2001) — Translator, some editions — 4,120 copies

Chess Story (1943) — Translator, some editions — 3,999 copies

Ruby Red (2011) — Translator, some editions — 2,578 copies

The World of Yesterday (1944) — Translator, some editions — 2,558 copies

Asterix the Gaul (1961) — Translator, some editions — 2,527 copies

Three Bags Full (2005) — Translator, some editions — 2,449 copies

The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945 (1946) — Translator, some editions — 2,259 copies

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) — Translator, some editions — 2,056 copies

Asterix in Britain (1961) — Translator, some editions — 2,013 copies

Asterix and Cleopatra (1965) — Translator, some editions — 2,004 copies

Nicholas (1959) — Translator, some editions — 1,990 copies

Asterix at the Olympic Games (1968) — Translator, some editions — 1,796 copies

Asterix and the Goths (1963) — Translator, some editions — 1,759 copies

Asterix and the Golden Sickle (1962) — Translator, some editions — 1,715 copies

Beware of Pity (1982) — Translator, some editions — 1,707 copies

Asterix the Gladiator (1964) — Translator, some editions — 1,687 copies

Igraine The Brave (1998) — Translator, some editions — 1,683 copies

Asterix the Legionary (1966) — Translator, some editions — 1,661 copies

Asterix and the Banquet (1965) — Translator, some editions — 1,606 copies

Asterix in Switzerland (1970) — Translator, some editions — 1,558 copies

Asterix in Spain (1969) — Translator, some editions — 1,537 copies

Asterix and the Big Fight (1964) — Translator, some editions — 1,533 copies

Asterix and the Normans (1966) — Translator, some editions — 1,510 copies

Sapphire Blue (2010) — Translator, some editions — 1,496 copies

The Mansions of the Gods (1971) — Translator, some editions — 1,492 copies

Asterix and the Roman Agent (1970) — Translator, some editions — 1,457 copies

The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901) — Translator, some editions — 1,439 copies

Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield (1967) — Translator, some editions — 1,436 copies

Asterix and the Cauldron (1969) — Translator, some editions — 1,417 copies

Asterix in Belgium (1979) — Translator, some editions — 1,407 copies

Asterix and the Laurel Wreath (1972) — Translator, some editions — 1,403 copies

Obelix and Co. (1976) — Translator, some editions — 1,403 copies

Asterix and the Soothsayer (1972) — Translator, some editions — 1,402 copies

Asterix in Corsica (1973) — Translator, some editions — 1,394 copies

Asterix and Caesar's Gift (1974) — Translator, some editions — 1,349 copies

The Satanic Mill (1971) — Translator, some editions — 1,330 copies

Emerald Green (2010) — Translator, some editions — 1,323 copies

Asterix and the Great Divide (1980) — Translator, some editions — 1,276 copies

Asterix and the Magic Carpet (1984) — Translator, some editions — 1,263 copies

Asterix and Son (1983) — Translator, some editions — 1,253 copies

Asterix and the Black Gold (1981) — Translator, some editions — 1,239 copies

Asterix and the Secret Weapon (1991) — Translator, some editions — 1,141 copies

On the Natural History of Destruction (1999) — Translator, some editions — 1,064 copies

Asterix and Obelix All at Sea (1996) — Translator, some editions — 1,064 copies

Asterix and the Actress (2001) — Translator, some editions — 1,060 copies

Thumbelina (1835) — Translator, some editions — 877 copies

Asterix and the Falling Sky (2005) — Translator, some editions — 860 copies

Lisa and Lottie (1931) — Translator, some editions — 831 copies

The Nightingale (1843) — Translator, some editions — 817 copies

The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr together with a fragmentary Biography of Kapellmeister Johannes Kreisler on… (1972) — Translator, some editions — 802 copies

Asterix and the Class Act (2003) — Translator, some editions — 769 copies

Nicholas on Vacation (1962) — Translator, some editions — 758 copies

The Blindness of the Heart (2007) — Translator, some editions — 728 copies

Confusion: The Private Papers of Privy Councillor R. von D. (1927) — Translator, some editions — 713 copies

Hansel and Gretel (1812) — Translator, some editions — 709 copies

Nicholas and the Gang (1963) — Translator, some editions — 703 copies

The Little Mermaid (1837) — Translator, some editions — 672 copies

Nicholas Again (1961) — Translator, some editions — 648 copies

The Late Monsieur Gallet (1931) — Translator, some editions — 641 copies

The Little Mermaid (Disney's Wonderful World of Reading) (1993) — Adapted by, some editions — 632 copies

The Murder Farm (2008) — Translator, some editions — 625 copies

The Little Witch (1957) — Translator, some editions — 594 copies

The Baader-Meinhof Complex (1987) — Translator, some editions — 589 copies

Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver (1960) — Translator, some editions — 573 copies

The Chess Machine (2005) — Translator, some editions — 556 copies

Until the Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary (2002) — Translator, some editions — 555 copies

A History of Food (1987) — Translator, some editions — 546 copies

Cinderella (1697) — Translator, some editions — 536 copies

The Princess Knight (2001) — Translator, some editions — 521 copies

In Times of Fading Light (2011) — Translator, some editions — 512 copies

Campo Santo (2003) — Translator, some editions — 508 copies

How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone (2008) — Translator, some editions — 504 copies

All for Nothing (2006) — Translator, some editions — 502 copies

The Collini Case (2011) — Translator, some editions — 499 copies

The Flying Classroom (1933) — Translator, some editions — 496 copies

My Wish List (2012) — Translator, some editions — 488 copies

Journey into the Past (1929) — Translator, some editions — 487 copies

Fear (1935) — Translator, some editions — 484 copies

The Stone and the Flute (1983) — Translator, some editions — 481 copies

How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy (1965) — Translator, some editions — 467 copies

Asterix - The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976) — Translator, some editions — 438 copies

Burning Secret (1913) — Translator, some editions — 425 copies

Nicholas in Trouble (1964) — Translator, some editions — 421 copies

Cécile is Dead (1942) — Translator, some editions — 401 copies

The Little Ghost (1966) — Translator, some editions — 388 copies

Dot and Anton (1931) — Translator, some editions — 381 copies

A Minute's Silence (2008) — Translator, some editions — 378 copies

Fantastic Night: Tales of Longing and Liberation (1991) — Translator, some editions — 365 copies

Underground in Berlin: A Young Woman's Extraordinary Tale of Survival in the Heart of Nazi Germany (1999) — Translator, some editions — 326 copies

The Dark Side of Love (2004) — Translator, some editions — 321 copies

In My Brother's Shadow: A Life and Death in the SS (2003) — Translator, some editions — 314 copies

The Ludwig Conspiracy (2012) — Translator, some editions — 309 copies

The Princetta (2006) — Translator, some editions — 292 copies

After Midnight (1937) — Translator, some editions — 282 copies

Before the Feast (2014) — Translator, some editions — 282 copies

Conrad: The Factory-Made Boy (1975) — Translator, some editions — 281 copies

Town Musicians of Bremen (1819) — Translator, some editions — 278 copies

The Collected Stories of Stefan Zweig (2013) — Translator, some editions — 267 copies

Frog in Love (1989) — Translator, some editions — 261 copies

The Snow Queen (1979) — some editions — 261 copies

Arcadia Awakens (2009) — Translator, some editions — 261 copies

The Little Water-Sprite (1956) — Translator, some editions — 253 copies

Amok and Other Stories (1922) — Translator, some editions — 243 copies

The Swineherd (1841) — Translator, some editions — 240 copies

Winter Song (2006) — Translator, some editions — 238 copies

The Girl Who Wasn't There (2014) — Translator, some editions — 237 copies

Rapunzel (1979) — Translator, some editions — 226 copies

10 Andersen Fairy Tales: Selected and Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger (1991) — Translator, some editions — 225 copies

Anne Frank: A Hidden Life (1992) — Translator, some editions — 212 copies

The Princess and the Pea (2010) — Translator, some editions — 204 copies

The Strawberry Picker (2003) — Translator, some editions — 203 copies

Asterix Versus Caesar: the book of the film (Book 29) (1985) — Translator, some editions — 197 copies

Tiger Moon (2006) — Translator, some editions — 195 copies

Berlin (2003) — Translator, some editions — 194 copies

Lost in Time (1998) — Translator, some editions — 190 copies

The Astrosmurf (1970) — Translator, some editions — 178 copies

Young Gerber (1930) — Translator, some editions — 162 copies

The Calligrapher's Secret (2008) — Translator, some editions — 160 copies

On Love and Death (2005) — Translator, some editions — 158 copies

An Exclusive Love: A Memoir (2009) — Translator, some editions — 153 copies

The Castle of Kings (2013) — Translator, some editions — 152 copies

Rain (1999) — Translator, some editions — 150 copies

Little Hobbin (1970) — Translator, some editions — 147 copies

Kismet (2001) — Translator, some editions — 143 copies

The Mercy Room (2003) — Translator, some editions — 141 copies

The Little Mermaid [Chihiro Iwasaki] (1984) — Translator, some editions — 130 copies

The Golden Goose (1812) — Translator, some editions — 128 copies

Dance of the assassins (2002) — Translator, some editions — 127 copies

Woman of the Dead (2014) — Translator, some editions — 124 copies

Eva's Cousin (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (2000) — Translator, some editions — 123 copies

The Elves of Cologne (1910) — Translator, some editions — 123 copies

Fort Navajo (1965) — Translator, some editions — 122 copies

Arcadia Burns (2010) — Translator, some editions — 122 copies

Bambert's Book of Missing Stories (1998) — Translator, some editions — 121 copies

Granny (1975) — Translator, some editions — 119 copies

The Winter of the Lions (2008) — Translator, some editions — 111 copies

A Crime in the Family (2016) — Translator, some editions — 108 copies

Idioten. Fünf Märchen. (2003) — Translator, some editions — 108 copies

The Invisible Collection: Tales of Obsession and Desire (1926) — Translator, some editions — 104 copies

The Boys from St. Petri (1600) — Translator, some editions — 103 copies

The Famous Five and the Stately Homes Gang (1972) — Translator, some editions — 98 copies

The Broken Goddess (1990) — Translator, some editions — 96 copies

The Ugly Duckling (Robert Ingpen) (2005) — Translator, some editions — 96 copies

The Snowman (1981) — Translator, some editions — 91 copies

Next World Novella (2009) — Translator, some editions — 91 copies

Something Remains (2004) — Translator, some editions — 88 copies

Arcadia Falls (2011) — Translator, some editions — 88 copies

Cabo de Gata (2013) — Translator, some editions — 88 copies

The Adventures of a Bed Salesman (2000) — Translator, some editions — 86 copies

The Glory of Life (2011) — Translator, some editions — 84 copies

Dragons of Darkness (2008) — Translator, some editions — 83 copies

The First Thing You See (2013) — Translator, some editions — 80 copies

Back to Back (2011) — Translator, some editions — 78 copies

Devil's Tango (The Devil's Dances Trilogy) (2003) — Translator, some editions — 78 copies

The Society of the Crossed Keys (2014) — Translator — 76 copies

West (2003) — Translator, some editions — 76 copies

The Indies Enterprise (2010) — Translator, some editions — 75 copies

Shooting Stars: Ten Historical Miniatures (1600) — Translator, some editions — 75 copies

Hotzenplotz 3 (1973) — Translator, some editions — 75 copies

I Don't Want to Be Inside Me Anymore: Messages from an Autistic Mind (1993) — Translator, some editions — 70 copies

The Famous Five Versus the Black Mask (1974) — Translator, some editions — 68 copies

Light in a Dark House (2011) — Translator, some editions — 68 copies

Brother Kemal (2012) — Translator, some editions — 66 copies

The Sweetness of Life (2012) — Translator, some editions — 66 copies

Augustus: The Biography (1998) — Translator, some editions — 65 copies

The Famous Five and the Secret of the Caves (1976) — Translator, some editions — 64 copies

Chez Max (2006) — Translator, some editions — 63 copies

Selected Stories (2009) — Translator, some editions — 61 copies

Black Ice (1982) — Translator, some editions — 56 copies

Dreaming in Black & White (1999) — Translator, some editions — 53 copies

The Strange Child (1976) — Translator, some editions — 53 copies

The Famous Five and the Hijackers (1975) — Translator, some editions — 52 copies

Twilight & Moonbeam Alley (2005) — Translator, some editions — 51 copies

Agatha Christie and Archaeology (1999) — Translator, some editions — 48 copies

The English Years (1999) — Translator, some editions — 46 copies

The Merry Pranks of Till Eulenspiegel (1990) — Translator, some editions — 43 copies

Bach (1993) — Translator, some editions — 40 copies

Love Today: Stories (2007) — Translator, some editions — 39 copies

Genius and Discovery: Five Historical Miniatures (2016) — Translator, some editions — 39 copies

The Governess and Other Stories (2010) — Translator, some editions — 39 copies

The Legend of Rosepetal (1985) — Translator, some editions — 39 copies

Bugs in a Blanket (2000) — Translator, some editions — 38 copies

Lullabies, Lyrics and Gallows Songs (1993) — Translator, some editions — 37 copies

Triumph and Disaster: Five Historical Miniatures (2016) — Translator, some editions — 37 copies

So Long, Grandpa (1977) — Translator, some editions — 36 copies

The Dark Meadow (2012) — Translator, some editions — 35 copies

Tales from the Brothers Grimm: Selected and Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger (2012) — Translator, some editions — 34 copies

Albert and Lila (1999) — Translator, some editions — 34 copies

Fatima and the Dream Thief (1996) — Translator, some editions — 34 copies

The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1984) — Translator, some editions — 32 copies

Paper Kisses: A True Love Story (1996) — Translator, some editions — 29 copies

Now Let's Dance (2016) — Translator, some editions — 29 copies

Winters in the South (2008) — Translator, some editions — 26 copies

The Six Servants (1996) — Translator — 26 copies

Rapunzel and Other Magic Fairy Tales (2004) — Translator, some editions — 24 copies

The Nutcracker and The Strange Child (2010) — Translator, some editions — 23 copies

Der Schnabelsteher (1995) — Translator, some editions — 23 copies

The Seven and the Lion Hunt (Knight Books) (1983) — Translator, some editions — 23 copies

The Porridge Pot (2007) — Preface, some editions — 22 copies

Adventures of Asterix: Omnibus (1961) — Translator, some editions — 22 copies

The Stronger Sex (2011) — Translator, some editions — 18 copies

David's Revenge (2009) — Translator, some editions — 16 copies

Descartes' Devil: Three Meditations (2008) — Translator, some editions — 15 copies

The Old House (1984) — Translator, some editions — 15 copies

Seven Houses: My Life With Books (1976) — Translator, some editions — 14 copies

Romeo and Smurfette: and 12 other Smurfy Stories (Smurf Adventures) (1979) — Translator, some editions — 14 copies

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves [Chihiro Iwasaki] (1991) — Translator, some editions — 14 copies

The Philosopher of Auschwitz: Jean Améry and Living with the Holocaust (2004) — Translator, some editions — 13 copies

The Seven Go Haunting (1982) — Translator, some editions — 13 copies

Dogmatix and the Ugly Little Eagle (1982) — Translator, some editions — 12 copies

The Little Match Girl (2005) — Translator, some editions — 11 copies

The Seven to the Rescue (Knight Books) (1989) — Translator, some editions — 11 copies

Fairy Tales of Ludwig Bechstein (1966) — Translator, some editions — 10 copies

Reynard the Fox (2012) — Translator, some editions — 10 copies

Comparative Children's Literature (2005) — Translator, some editions — 10 copies

Seven and the Magician (Knight Books) (1977) — Translator, some editions — 9 copies

The Seven and the U.F.O.'s (Knight Books) (1995) — Translator, some editions — 8 copies

The Dream Tree (1987) — Translator, some editions — 8 copies

Seven Strike Gold (Knight Books) (1984) — Translator, some editions — 8 copies

The Seven and Father Christmas: A New Adventure of the Characters Created by Enid Blyton (NEW SEVEN'S) (1994) — Translator, some editions — 8 copies

Aesop's Fables (1994) — Translator, some editions — 8 copies

The Dog and the Horse (1980) — Translator — 7 copies

The Seven on Screen (1994) — Translator, some editions — 7 copies

Yours and Mine (2000) — Translator, some editions — 7 copies

Seven and the Racing Driver (Knight Books) (1987) — Translator, some editions — 5 copies

Zoo im ersten Stock. (1966) — Translator, some editions — 5 copies

J'apprends l'anglais avec Astérix chez les Bretons (Asterix in Britain) (1994) — Translator — 3 copies

Cricket Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 1, September 1976 — Translator — 2 copies

Asterix and Son (Bk.1) (Headway Books) (1990) — Translator — 2 copies

Asterix and the English Language 2 - Asterix and the Magic Carpet (1990) — Translator — 1 copy

Tagged

20th century (765) adventure (1,156) Asterix (5,875) bande dessinée (813) BD (1,414) books (525) cartoons (732) children (1,071) children's (1,659) children's books (528) children's literature (574) comic (2,796) comics (4,541) fairy tales (847) fantasy (6,372) fiction (8,713) France (777) French (1,557) German (1,463) German literature (1,236) Germany (844) graphic novel (1,806) historical fiction (608) history (1,137) Holocaust (457) humor (2,847) literature (941) magic (914) mystery (639) non-fiction (495) novel (966) picture book (636) read (1,056) Roman (581) series (901) to-read (4,401) translation (564) WWII (868) YA (905) young adult (1,355)

Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1936-05-10
Date of death: 2018-10-18
Gender: female
Nationality: UK
Birthplace: Sudbury, Suffolk, England, UK
Place of death: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Places of residence: Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Education: University of Oxford (Somerville College) (English)
Occupations: translator
Relationships: Bell, Martin (brother)
Bell, Adrian (father)
Kamm, Oliver (son)
Awards and honors: Order of the British Empire (Officer, 2010)
Disambiguation notice: Please do not combine this page with any of the authors translated by Ms. Bell. Thank you.

Members

Reviews

Vasilisa the Beautiful and Baba Yaga by Anthea Bell

Summary: This story is very similar to our Americanized version of Cinderella, but this one is a Russian folktale. It's about a young girl named Vasilisa who's mother died and gave her a magical doll to watch over her. When Vasilisa's father remarries an evil woman, she also inherits two evil step sisters. They make Vasilisa go into the forest to retrieve something from the scary witch, Baba Yaga, who is known for eating anyone she pleases. Thankfully, Vasilisa's doll succeeds in keeping her safe and once she passes all of Baba Yaga's tests, she is set free and has a happy ending.

Critique of Genre: Folktale because there's the all evil characters (step mother and sisters) and the pure/good character (Vasilisa), who gets her happy ending or "reward" at the end by finding true love and being free of her stepmother and step siblings.

Age: Intermediate (Might be too scary for younger kids)

Media: Ultra HD print… (more)

Flagged

aschoenberg12 | Mar 22, 2017 |

Jack and the Beanstalk by Anthea Bell

This story of Jack and the Beanstalk is retelling of the classic fairytale. Jack must sell his cow because his mother has no more money and the cow doesn't produce any milk. When he goes to sell the cow, he gets tricked into trading the cow for five magic beans. Jack's mom is furious with him and she throws the beans outside. However, the beans are magical and a giant beanstalk grows outside the house. Jack climbs the beanstalk and meets an ogre's wife who warns him of the dangerous ogre. Jack ignores her warning and instead tricks the couple and takes the gold coins for his mother. Jack does this a few times and each time he doesn't get caught. The last time he goes up the beanstalk, the ogre catches Jack as he is taking the harp and chases after him. Jack, with the help of his mother, chops the beanstalk with an axe and he and his mother live a very rich and happy life. The author uses rhyming, puns, imagery, and exaggeration to tell the story. The theme of the story is how one can outsmart another. In the beginning, the man outsmarts Jack when he trades the cow for the beans. Then Jack outsmarts the ogre and gets his golden coins, hen, and harp. Another theme is good vs evil. Jack would be considered the good character while the ogre is considered bad since he likes to kill and eat little boys. The story shows how good always wins in the end.… (more)

Flagged

mamontgomery | Feb 16, 2016 |

The Wise Queen: A Traditional European Folktale by Anthea Bell

When a king gives one of his ministers an impossible task to complete, the minister's clever daughter helps him to find a solution, winning the admiration, and eventually the love, of their ruler. Although she promises, when she and the king marry, that she will not interfere with her husband's legal decisions, the wise young queen finds herself doing just that, after a young boy is unjustly deprived of his calf. Having angered her husband, the queen is condemned to exile, although she does convince her angry spouse to allow her to take the thing "she loves most" with her...

Simply told by prolific translator Anthea Bell, and beautifully illustrated by Chihiro Iwasaki - one of Japan's most beloved picture-book artists - The Wise Queen is an entertaining tale in which wisdom triumphs over resentment and small-minded jealousy. I enjoyed it immensely, although I was irritated at its description as a "European" tale. Having ranted about those books in which "folktales" are described as "Indian" or "Native American," with no further information given - as if the diverse folk traditions of an entire continent could somehow be collapsed into one undifferentiated whole - I find myself as unsympathetic to the same carelessness (somewhat less common, I think) in the retelling of European folklore. There is a brief note at the front, mentioning that this version was collected by Moses Gaster. Should I therefore assume that it is either Jewish or Romanian? If so, why not just say so, and mention that there are many other European variants?

Four stars for the tale itself, and for the lovely watercolor artwork. The odd (non)classification issue might have merited a deduction of one star, but I decided to be generous, since some information as to source was provided.… (more)

Flagged

AbigailAdams26 | 1 other review | Apr 30, 2013 |

The WISE QUEEN. by Anthea & Iwasaki Bell, Chihiro.

This is a story about a minister's daughter that is very smart and good at solving brain teasers. She is married to the king and agrees to not meddle in his affairs. But one day she does, in trying to help a boy get his calf back. When the king finds out he tells her she has to leave his palace. The woman makes two requests, including a feast and the ability to take one thing out of the castle that she loved the most. She actually ended up taking the king himself. When the king realized how much she loved him along with how smart she was, in her ability to trick even him, he let her come back to the palace. The king let her help him in all his future affairs anf they lived happily ever after. I enjoyed this story and I think kids will too.… (more)

Flagged

HopeMiller123 | 1 other review | Mar 4, 2012 |

See More Reviews