Swan Lake
Grade 2-5 A picture book retelling of Swan Lake that uses elements of the original folktale told by J.K.A. Musaeus and the version used by Tchaikovsky for his ballet. In this retelling, the Prince and Odette escape death from the hands of the evil sorcerer. The economic prose has the cadence and language of a folktale; each sentence is simple and straightforward, with every word in place like a string of fine pearls. Iwasaki's illustrations are the same highly-colored abstract watercolors that she used for Anthea Bell's retellings of The Red Shoes (1983) and The Little Mermaid (1984, both Neugebauer Pr). Those looking for a straight retelling of the ballet plot will be better served by Donna Diamond's Swan Lake (Holiday, 1980). This book is, instead, a fine folktale retelling that uses the familiar ballet as a springboard.Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public LibraryCopyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.