From Publishers Weekly
Abridged and illustrated by Inga Moore, E. Nesbit's The Book of Beasts, originally published in 1900, makes a handsome picture-book edition. A boy king, fascinated by the Palace library, unwittingly unlocks a magical world lying dormant between the covers of a book. But in the process, he also releases a fire-breathing Red Dragon. Rendered in ink, oil pastels and oil paint, Moore's stunning illustrations spill over with a humor that also pervades in the text (e.g., "Master Lionel, dear, they've come to fetch you to go and be king," reads Nurse's thought bubble on the first page).
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-Originally published as part of Nesbit's A Book of Dragons in 1900, this carefully abridged version of the story retains the cadence and flavor of the original while omitting much of the extraneous detail (including mention of the boy's punishments for misbehavior). In this quaint tale, young Lionel suddenly learns that he is King, and in touring his Palace, he comes across The Book of Beasts in the library, magically releasing the realistic and fantastic creatures in the illustrations as he turns the pages. When he allows a large Red Dragon to escape and it begins to eat groups of people (and all the pussycats in the town), the boy King must find a creature that can help him to force it back into the book. Moore has created large full- and double-page illustrations for most of the story, along with a few vignettes-all of them showing caricature-style courtiers and animals rendered in ink, oil pastel, and oil paints. The wonderful Red Dragon and the Hippogriff-a lovely winged white horse-are especially charming. Some illustrations include conversation balloons. In comparison with Nesbit's own full text illustrated by Annabel Spenceley (Dial, 1988; o.p.), Moore's simplified edition is more easily read aloud, and her large, colorful illustrations hold more child appeal.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
