Fresh Approaches: New Editions and Reissues
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 09/08/2008
Celebrating Picture Book Paragons
Supplement your shelves with these dazzling new editions of tried-and-true favorites.
Tons of Fun
Hougton Mifflin has issued a handsome compilation of James Marshall’s George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends (2008) that includes all 35 tales about these hippo pals along with a foreword by Maurice Sendak (from the 1997 edition) and a new afterword by Anita Silvey. Scattered among the generous-size, gloriously reproduced pages are appreciations penned by Marc Brown, Jack Gantos, Susan Meddaugh, Nicole Rubel, Coleen Salley, Jon Scieszka, and David Wiesner—presented on attractive spreads along with an author photo and book jackets—recalling instances and inspirations relating to Marshall, who died in 1992. Young readers will enjoy having these hilarious and heartwarming stories about these two delightful characters in one easy-to-access place, while adults will value the commentary, which touches upon Marshall’s personality as well as his artistic genius.
If your library patrons prefer their George and Martha in smaller servings, try offering them bite-size portions. Hougton Mifflin is publishing the episodes as a series of early readers, reformatting the art and text into the traditional 6 x 9 design. With straightforward language, kid-friendly humor, and an artless interplay between words and pictures, these tales make nourishing fare for beginning readers. The first two early readers (2007) take their stories from the initial George and Martha picture book (1972), while the third and fourth (2008) are excerpted from George and Martha Round and Round (1988).
A Turtle Turns 50
Dr. Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle and other Stories: A 50th-Anniversary Retrospective (2008) from Random House, reprints this longtime child-favorite and top-seller along with a thoughtful, 32-page commentary by Charles D. Cohen, author of The Seuss, the Whole Seuss, and Nothing but the Seuss (Random, 2004). Written for adult fans and/or students of literature, the essay traces appearances by turtles in Theodor Geisel’s early work; highlights themes found in the volume’s stories; and sets the tales against a literary, historical, and personal backdrop. Archival images of book covers, magazine cartoons, artwork, and memorabilia—including Mattel’s talking Yertle doll (1970)—are included, as are two “lost stories,” “The Ruckus” and “The Kindly Snather,” which fit right in with the other cautionary tales. A must-have for libraries serving Seussophiles.
A Performer with Staying Power
It’s hard to believe, but the first book about Angelina Ballerina (Viking, 1983), written by Katharine Holabird and endearingly illustrated by Helen Craig, premiered a quarter century ago. Since then, this charming young mouse with big dreams has become the subject of numerous sequels and a successful animated television show. Viking’s 25th-annniversary edition of Angelina Ballerina (2008), featuring a jazzed-up cover jacket embellished with foil and glitter, makes an eye-catching choice for replacing tattered copies of the original.
Re-Visiting America—Pachyderm Style
Laurent de Brunhoff’s Babar Comes to America, originally published in 1965, has been reissued by Abrams for the first time in more than a decade. This book, featuring vibrantly reproduced artwork, provides current-day Babar fans with a look back in time to when bus fare cost 15 cents and drive-in movie theaters were the norm. This charming travelogue makes the perfect accompaniment to de Brunhoff’s new release, Babar’s USA (Abrams), in which the elephant and his family embark on another tour across the country. As befits the 21st-century setting, the book is illustrated with the familiar watercolor images of the characters cleverly collaged against digitally photographed backgrounds.
Pub Info
MARSHALL, James. George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends. Sept. 2008. Tr $25.00. ISBN 978-0-618-89195-5.
_____. George and Martha Early Reader #1. 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-96331-7.
_____. George and Martha: Two Great Friends Early Reader #2. 2007. ISBN 978-0-618-96178-8.
_____. George and Martha: Round and Round Early Reader #3. 2008. ISBN 978-0-618-98505-0.
_____. George and Martha: The Best of Friends Early Reader #4. 2008. ISBN 978-0-618-98451-0.
ea vol: illus. by author. Houghton. PLB $15.
SEUSS, Dr. Yertle the Turtle and other Stories: A 50th-Anniversary Retrospective. illus. by author. Random. Sept. 2008. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-375-83850-7. PLB $27.99. ISBN 978-0-375-93850-4.
HOLABIRD, Katharine. Angelina Ballerina: 25th-Anniversary Edition. illus. by Helen Craig. Viking. Sept. 2008. Tr. $13.99. ISBN 978-0-670-01117-9.
BRUNHOFF, Laurent de. Babar Comes to America. ISNB 978-0-8109-7244-5.
_____. Babar’s USA. ISBN 978-0-8109-7096-0.
ea. vol: illus. by author. Abrams. Sept. 2008. Tr. $17.95.
