October 1, 1988
Howe, working in a style that is just as realistic as Locker's (see above), highlights the comic gifts of Irving's story: his Rip waves jauntily to a scarecrow, sneaks away from the house unaware that a stern Dame Van Winkle looks on and, in one frame, is seen scrambling out the door away from the shrewish, pointing finger of his wife (the rest of her is offstage). Henry Hudson's crew are a wild-eyed, caricatured bunch; Rip, upon awakening, has ivy and brambles clinging to his hat and pants, and his beard sails down past his knees. He returns to his village and is mistaken for a soldier of the American revolution; but soon settles into a serene life with his daughter and is lastly shown carving from wood the figures of the small men from his ``night'' on the mountain. This is a vivid piece of storytelling, which takes full advantage of the atmospheric Catskill setting. Howe good-spiritedly taps the elements of the tale that make it an American favorite. Ages 4-8.
September 2, 1991
``This is a vivid piece of storytelling, which takes full advantage of the atmospheric Catskill setting and highlights the comic gifts of Irving's story,'' PW commented. ``Howe good-spiritedly taps the elements of the tale that make it an American favorite.'' Ages 4-8.
September 1, 1988
From Locker comes a set of paintings that, like The Boy Who Held Back the Sea , elegantly recall old Dutch masters. Rip Van Winkle, of course, is enchanted by the brew he drinks with a band of men playing ninepins in the Catskills, sleeps, and wakes up to find that he is an old man and the world has gone on without him. The telling succeeds in stressing Rip's idleness around his own house while doing good works for others, Dame Van Winkle's constant harping and the mystery surrounding the mountain men, said to be Henry Hudson's crew. However, most of the humor of the story has been stricken from this version, and the interaction of charactersnotably in two successive illustrations regarding Dame Van Winkleis passed over in favor of more posed events. Locker, who has often placed the people of his pictures as tiny figures on vast landscapes, focuses on the human aspects of the story, yet sweepingly captures the majesty of the mountains. A quiet beauty permeates this book, to be appreciated by thoughtful readers. All ages.
August 30, 1993
Readers who haven't sat down recently with Irving's classic tale, or those who have yet to be introduced to it, are in for a treat. Written in 1820, the story of the slumbering Dutchman is remarkably fresh, told with verve and panache. In keeping with the caliber of the prose, Kelley's artwork echoes the classic tradition (and in fact occasionally brings to mind N. C. Wyeth). His light-dappled landscapes and portraits are drawn on a grand scale, and rendered in sombre, autumnal hues that hint at the story's innate mystery. Irving's puckish wit and droll descriptions are a delight. For more mature readers, the effort of navigating Irving's occasionally florid style is rewarded with many such morsels. Beautifully designed and elegantly type-set on high-quality stock, this book is as much a pleasure to hold as it is to read. Ages 12-up.