Classic Fairy Tales is gloriously illustrated by Scott Gustafson. He has collected 10 of the most traditional fairy tales and brought them to life. His passion for art and for his favorite children’s stories is clear as I start my own journey back into memories of bedtime stories, children’s rhymes, and Disney movies.
A mix of princess and adventure stories, the ten classic fairy tales chosen by Gustafson are Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Tom Thumb, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince, Rumplestiltskin, Cinderella, and the Three Little Pigs. Though many of these stories have found their way into Disney’s vault, Gustafson has elected to retain the unabridged versions (i.e., the frog in the frog prince was thrown at the wall).
Over four years, Gustafson created 75 images that make this book simply glow. Ten of the largest illustrations were originally intended for collector’s plates and limited edition prints. The other 65 paintings are of comparable quality, making this a fluid storybook of beautiful and heartfelt art.
This book looks like it would make a great coffee table piece for sharing with family over the holidays. The cover itself offers alot to study and enjoy. I wonder if it would be useful in a lesson that ties art and social studies together. Perhaps students could compare and contrast multiple fairy tale illustrations. It seems like the artwork in this collection would inspire lots of young budding artists. Great find!
ReplyDeleteI need to keep reminding myself that even though I grew up with the stories in this collection, the younger elementary school students (i.e. kindergarten) may have never heard nor read these stories before. Thinking about it makes me feel old, but it's ok. Books like this are so important because they keep classic stories with meaningful lessons alive for future generations.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like it would be a good book to read to early elementary students. We have been talking a lot about fractured fairy tales and how you have to have a foundational knowledge of the original fairy tales to appreciate the fractured ones. This seems like a perfect book to expose children to the original fairy tales early so later they may enjoy others.
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