Coppellia: the Story of the Ballet

"Coppelia" is a fantasy story retold by ballerina Margot Fonteyn, with paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. The story concerns Dr. Coppelius, a European dollmaker who is also an alchemist. Coppelius creates a remarkably lifelike doll who becomes involved in an unusual love triangle.The paintings by Johnson and Fancher are an ideal complement to this story of love and magic. The photographic reproductions of the paintings are excellent; you can actually see the texture of the paint on the canvas. The art wonderfully captures a quaint European village; the artists include such details as half-timbering and ornamental stonework on the dollmaker's house.According to a supplemental note, ballerina/author Fonteyn actually danced in the ballet version of this story; that fact gives the book an added touch if interest.

Margot Fonteyn's rendition of the French ballet Coppélia is wonderful. It is the story of a young man named Franz who is enamoured by a beautiful girl who sits by the window in the house of the mysterious dollmaker, Dr. Coppélius. This of course makes his betrothed, the fiery Swanilda very displeased. However, things are not as they appear to be. The story has an excellent flow to it and the illustrations have an impressionist feel to them---one can actually see the brush strokes---and are very lovely. This book makes a great bedtime story and I highly recommend it to children who like ballet or those who have yet to discover its charm.