The Firebird - Hardcover

Hastings's lustrous retelling of this Russian folktale turns on a version by Afanasyev, an intriguing variation from the better known story on which Stravinsky's ballet is based. The Firebird actually plays a small part here; instead, the narrative focuses on the huntsman, a hapless fellow with a Jay Leno jawline and a horse smarter than Mr. Ed. Spying a Firebird feather while out for a ride, the huntsman is warned by his trusty steed that it will bring "trouble such as you have never known." The rash fellow ignores the advice, presents the feather to the king, and is promptly ordered off on a series of impossible scavenger hunts to assuage the monarch's greed. The huntsman's misadventures culminate in a dip in boiling water (his horse saves him, of course), from which he emerges a veritable Prince Valiant and wins the hand of the Princess Vasilisa. Cartwright's sleek, stylized artwork skates close to the surreal, while a dynamic, many-layered quality gives it the look of collage. Onion-domed buildings, a brief appearance by a full-bearded Orthodox priest, and other touches hint of the story's place of origin and provide a subtly sophisticated backdrop to Hastings's stylish prose. As retellings go, this one is a corker. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is not the story made familiar by the ballet, but a related tale in which the firebird figures mostly at the outset, when one of its feathers is found by a huntsman who presents it to his king--a tyrant whose response is to send the poor fellow off to fetch the bird, which he is able to do with the advice of his admirable talking horse. But the huntsman's success only stimulates the king's greed, and he sends the man on mission after mission (a princess; her wedding dress), with dire threats in case of failure. Finally, the king's scheme to kill the huntsman backfires, the king dies in his stead, and the huntsman gets the princess. Hastings's brisk, lightly quizzical retelling is engagingly complemented by Cartwright's boldly stylized art. His statuesque figures are amusingly at odds with their lantern- jawed, large-nosed faces; the collage-like arrangements of areas of vibrant color are especially appropriate for groups. A lively addition to folklore collections. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.