From the Publisher
Ichabod Crane faces the terror of the Headless Horseman, and Rip Van Winkle rises from a 20-year sleep to find a world vastly changed in these two delightful classics of American literature. Complete and unabridged, newly reset in easy-to-read type, with 6 new full-page illustrations.
Publishers Weekly
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW Washington Irving, illus. by Michael Garland. Boyds Mills, $8.95 ISBN 1-56397-605-6. Full-page oil paintings illustrate this unabridged edition of the classic spine-tingler. All ages. (Sept.)
Children's Literature
Kelley makes a significant contribution to picture books for young adults with his skillful rendition of Irving's classic The Legend of Sleepy Hallow. Kelley drew his inspiration from the painters of the late 18th century. He uses style, color and light to reflect the tones of the Flemish masters and revive the Hudson Valley life of the early Dutch settlers. Green predominates, giving a woodsy feel while creating a strong sense of setting and time. Kelley also adopts the illustrative vision of the 1700's where he depicts a horse galloping with front and back legs extended, as they were in the period (artists didn't have photography to show them that a horse doesn't gallop that way). All these things add to the feeling of the period.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-- An unabridged version of the classic tale of Ichabod Crane, his affection for the wealthy and beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, and his confrontation with the Headless Horseman. Despite Irving's outmoded narrative style, this is still an excellent ghost story that combines appropriate amounts of humor and terror while integrating Germanic legend with New England folklore, specifically that of New York State. Garland's realistic oil paintings are either portraitures or landscapes. The former are reminiscent of Barry Moser's work, while the latter resemble those by Thomas Locker. While these illustrations act as a sophisticated balance to Irving's wordy narrative, they do not consistently evoke the mood of Arthur Rackham's interpretation (1990). In her retelling for younger children (1987, both Morrow), Diane Wolkstein avoids the African-American stereotypes that Irving used for ``comic relief'' and concentrates on telling a good story, eliminating the complicated and archaic language of the period. All in all, this new version is useful where additional copies of the unabridged edition are needed. --Andrew W. Hunter, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg, Charlotte, NC
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-The Legend of Sleepy Hollow takes place in Tarrytown, and tells the story of schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, Connecticut native, who comes to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. He becomes the neighborhood song master, reads Cotton Mather, steeps himself in local folklore, and competes with Brom Bones for the affections of Katrina. One afternoon, after being rebuffed by Katrina, he briskly rides off on his landlord's horse, sees an apparition of a headless horseman, and is never seen again in Sleepy Hollow. The townspeople have a myriad of theories concerning his disappearance. Rip Van Winkle is the short tale of a henpecked man who is very much liked by the townspeople, but is a failure as a farmer and family man. He journeys up the mountains one afternoon with his dog and stumbles upon a strangely dressed group of men who offer him a drink that puts him to sleep for 20 years. The world to which he awakens is greatly changed. George Vafiadis provides flawless narration for these tales by Washington Irving. His voice is strong, distinctive, and clear. Students may find this audio version helpful in understanding these tales set in the 18th century. The language is archaic and patronizing to women and blacks, although it is was appropriate to the time. The action takes place after a great deal of description, and middle schoolers may miss the tongue-in-cheek humor. Students may need prompting to listen to these two tales. That said, these classic tales are steeped in atmosphere and reveal a great deal about the social and political history of the time.-Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.
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