Description
Very Good dust jacket illustrated with lady and a lion, wear at edges and spine ends. A mylar dust jacket has been added. Very Good+ binding is red paper over boards, tan cloth-backed. Illustrated end papers, gift inscription on front free end paper dated “12-11-80”, toning to page edges, illustrations throughout by Arthur Rackham. The “b” is present in the alphabet line on the copyright page indicating a second printing. The binding is tight and pages are clean. The book measures 9.4″ tall x 7.3″ wide.
About the book (from the dust jacket)
It is said that the Brothers Grimm opened up a world of goodwill, where heroes and heroines are truly rewarded, where giants and dwarfs and birds and animals are their friends. It is said, also, that Arthur Rackham kept the fairy world alive for children in the twentieth of the century! Here is a splendid combination two–the best loved Grimms’ fairy tales, adored by an artist who was a master of fantasy.
Willhelm and Jacob Grimm assembled their collection of folklore over a period of many years. Published in three volumes from 1812 to 1824, the Nursery and Household Tales brought to the world not just entertainment, but an important account of the culture of the past. This collection includes the most familiar as well as the most charming of the tales. The Golden Bird, for example, tells how a young man is blessed by listening to the advice of a lowly fox. The Wren and the Bear tells of a war in the woods-all four-footed creatures against the winged ones! The Goose girl is really a princess in disguise. And we all know about Hansel and Grethel, who, left alone in the forest, daringly outwit the wicked old witch! Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Tom Thumb. .. they’re all here. And so are Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, but here they are called Ashenputtel and Briar Rose. It’s a rich and wonderful reunion.
About the illustrator (from the dust jacket)
Arthur Rackham’s illustrations for the Brothers Grimm brought him lasting fame. They rank with those he did for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, The Wind in the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland as classics of book illustration. From the beautiful to the bizarre, from the weird to the wonderful, his fine line drawings are striking portrayals of the Grimm stories. Dark colors and facial contortions arouse terror, starlight and fairies enchant, and faces in trees quite frequently amuse!
Gnarled branches and briars speak of the evil surrounding Hansel and Grethel. Bright castles and shimmering waters express the excitement in The Twelve Dancing Princesses Deep and somber tones utter the sadness of the Seven Dwarfs as they see Snowdrop lying on the ground. And a hilarious little king, unable to control his emotion, exudes mirth in Briar Rose. Timeless as entertainment, each tale is a rare jewel, which, combined with the artistry of Arthur Rackham, adds its special value to this storytime treasury.
