Aida [Hardcover]

Leontyne Price's retelling of Aida is concise and beautifully illustrated. My three sixth grade classes loved the story, but my voice gave out in the repeated readings! I found the CD-Rom of Aida, which features Ms. Price's rich voice reading the text, along with musical excerpts from the opera. (Ms. Price sings Aida, Placido Domingo sings Radames.) Total playing time on the CD is 67:22. I expect this combination of beautiful story, music, illustrations, and singing will serve my students well as an introduction/exposure to opera.

Forbidden love, enemy captivity, and royal betrayal - Aida endures it all. This book is a talented interpretation of a beautiful tragedy composed by Giuseppe Verdi in the late 1800s. Children of all ages can now delight in the story of the Ethiopian Princess and the noble Egyptian warrior brought to life by the stunning illustrations of Leo and Diane Dillon, who were awarded the Caldecott medal for previous work in children's literature. This book captivated my imagination and heart because of its unique narrative perspective and intense passion with which the tale is told. Leontyne Price is the gifted performer who played the character of Aida for many years with much success. In the afterward of the book, Price describes the passion she had for her character. "In many ways," she says, "I believe Aida is a portrait of my inner self." That relationship with her character manifests itself in her telling of the story for children. Each scene is filled with the emotions and struggles of the young princess, with supporting dialogue and illustrations to enchant children and adults of all ages. The story introduces children to the two ancient cultures of Ethiopia and Egypt, while the illustrations help them to envision a time long, long ago. The relationships between a young girl, her father, her true love, and her country are depicted with emotion, struggle, and beauty by both the author and the illustrators. However, the most appealing aspect of this story is Aida herself. She is a strong woman of royal blood that holds her head high in the face of adversity and yet struggles to do right by all those she loves. She is a true heroine and children's literature must continue to produce such women for generations to come.

I read this book and marvelled at the incredible illustrations. I'm a teacher, so I shared it with my young students. They didn't understand everything, but they sure did appreciate the artwork and story line. I'm buying it again as a gift for my niece's 12th birthday. She is obsessed with Egypt and Egyptian subjects. The Aida Broadway production recently came through Austin at the Bass Concert Hall, but we were unable to attend. This truly is the next best thing. When read correctly, it pleases the senses so much more (or as much as to some people) than hearing the production.