The Sleeping Beauty

These books are pleasing to look at, have heavy paper with beautiful illustrations. The cloth like hardcover and illustration are much prettier in person than in the photograph.

I love this book. If you are someone who loves the Sleeping Beauty story, it's a must. The book itself is sturdy in hardback, and worth the investment. Rackham's artwork is funny, done in the silhouette style of black and white cut-out, enhanced with red and green inks for dramatic effect. It takes on a timeless look, reminding me of the end of the summer season. C.S. Evens tells the story in the fullest detail you will find, stretching it to 11 chapters. This is the romantic version, and talks nothing of wicked mothers or babies getting eaten up by ogres! Instead, this story begins with the princess's parents and the frog; it details the jobs of the servants and what goes in the castle, the 12 good fairies and the mad one... The curse. The advice of the wizards, the destruction of the spinning wheels, the princess growing up, and the demise of the curse's reign. Of course, there are MANY princes that attempt to break the curse, but only ONE makes it through!

Arthur Rackham not only excelled at creating full color illustrations; he also was an unrivalled master at the art of the silhouette. In this reprinted children's classic, Rackham lavishly illustrates C.S. Evan's intricate retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story with one amazing silhouette after another. One of my favorite illustrations when I was a child was a fabulous two-page cross-section of Sleeping Beauty's palace, including such great details as slumbering cats, doves, scullery maids, the king and queen on their thrones, and of course the princess in her high tower. It never ceases to impress me how much a masterful artist like Rackham could communicate just with beautifully crafted graphic shapes alone- and remember, just because something's not in color, doesn't mean it's not good! Highly recommended!