The Firebird by Jane Yolen



BIBLIOGRAPHY

Yolen, Jane. 2002. The Firebird. Ill. by Vladimir Vagin. Hong Kong:  HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN 0060285389

PLOT SUMMARY:
Hero Prince Ivan, with the help of the Firebird, defeats the evil wizard and frees a princess and her maids

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Yolen's retelling of the Russian folktale of the Firebird is beautifully illustrated to bring it to life. With the classic concept of a folktale, of good vs. evil and a happy ending, hero Prince Ivan, with the help of the Firebird, defeats the evil wizard and frees a princess and her maids. Beautifully illustrated, Vagin transports the reader to czarist Russian, with dense forest and recognizable architecture. With illustrations of the famous Firebird ballet, (choreographed by George Balanchine to Igor Stravinsky's music) at the bottom of each page, Yolen introduces an added visual to the book.

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

From Publishers Weekly
"The elegant costumes and poses in his ballet scenes may well leave many readers eager to view a live performance." Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal

"Not to be confused with two stunningly illustrated titles of different folktales, Demi's The Firebird (Holt, 1994; o.p.) and Ruth Sanderson's The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring (Little, Brown, 2001), Yolen's Firebird will be most appreciated as an introduction to the ballet."
Ellen Heath, Orchard School, Ridgewood, NJ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

CONNECTIONS
A great book to be used with a music themed unit, specifically to introduce ballet to young readers.