The Emperor and the Nightingale - Hardcover

K-Gr 4-Waters retells Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale in clear, crisp language that captures the essence of the story without rendering it sterile. She chooses the best and most vivid images in the original story, and her writing is graceful and lucid. She makes a few changes, the most significant of which is that she omits the image of Death crouching on the dying emperor's chest. Instead, the ruler reflects on his good and bad deeds himself. While purists may disagree, the power of the story is not diminished by the change, and it extends the age range that would be receptive to it. Furthermore, the characterizations rely less on stereotypes and are allowed a degree of humanity not present in Eva Le Gallienne's translation in The Nightingale (HarperCollins, 1965), illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. Birkbeck's jewel-toned tapestrylike illustrations are lush and rich with detail, employing light and shadow effectively. They also contain deft touches of humor, as when the courtiers are tearing the palace apart to look for the nightingale. Unlike Burkert's illustrations or those by Lisbeth Zwerger (North-South, 1999), they do not emulate Asian art. Children and adults alike will enjoy poring over the distinctive and striking pages.-Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster Area Library, PA

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