Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Midway on the spectrum between the harshness of Carlo Collodi's (1826-1890) original and the sweet, sanitized Disney version lies this thoughtful adaptation. Young (Seven Blind Mice) views the story theatrically, in an author's note emphasizing the influence of the commedia dell'arte, and dividing the story itself into "scenes." But other than this structural tinkering, Young stays true to the plot, deviating from the original only to smooth out the rough edges for a modern audience. For example, he includes Pinocchio's near-fatal hanging, yet omits morbid details. The stylized cut-paper, fabric and chalk illustrations, however, are problematic. While inventive and skilled, they have little emotional appeal and may even be unsettling with their dissonant, clashing colors. Earlier versions by Roberto Innocenti and Chris McEwan are more visually pleasing, but Young's storytelling is the most in tune with a young audience. Ages 6-up. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly
Fanelli (First Flight) provides abstract illustrations for a deluxe edition of Collodi's cautionary tale. Distilled into pithy chapters by translator Rose, the book comes packaged in a paper-over-board edition with an attractive postmodern slipcase that plays up the hero's famous proboscis. Pinocchio, carved from a talking hunk of wood by his "father," Geppetto, starts life as a careless and gullible marionette. His first impulse is to run away from home, whereupon he falls in with scoundrels, sermonizers and a generous Blue Fairy. This version preserves all the slapstick violence and didacticism of the 19th-century original, in which Pinocchio makes mistakes and develops his moral sense, but the text also plays up a more modern mindset. This picaresque narrative makes a strange partner to Fanelli's up-to-date paper collages and loose pen-and-brush sketches. The artist does not emphasize the contrast between the puppet and his fleshly human and animal acquaintances. Everyone looks equally cartoonish (most often viewed in profile), which on the one hand alludes to Collodi's social satire (hypocritical humans have much in common with ignorant puppets) but on the other hand distances readers from the characters. With its variegated layout and wordless full-bleed spreads, the volume most resembles an artist's handmade book; Fanelli draws on lined or graph paper, and her inset, blue-black ink images seem doodled directly on the pages and margins. This modish treatment, a far cry from conventional versions of the classic, may be best suited to collectors; it makes a likely companion to Lane Smith's Pinocchio the Boy, or Incognito in Collodi. Ages 7-up. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3Although originally a full- length book, the thread of Collodi's story (via Disney) is what has become embedded in our culture, and that thread is what Metaxas chooses to retell here. He focuses on some of the best-known characters and portions of the tale, smoothly leading Pinocchio from one episode to the next. Some of the macabre moments have been altered: Pinocchio chases away the talking cricket rather than squashing it, and the Blue Fairy rescues the puppet from two assassins rather than leaving him to be hanged. Ajhar's muted watercolor illustrations support the text well, and the portrayal of Pinocchio is especially appealinghe has a pathetic and puzzled expression on his face for most of the book. While Metaxas and Ajhar have done a good job, the accompanying audiotape is the crowning touch. Danny Aiello's honey-and-gravel voice adds dimension to the text, and the merry music of Les Misrables Brass Band provides perfect punctuation for the hapless puppet.Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
Kirkus Reviews
What most readers know of Pinocchio is a wooden puppet whose nose grows from telling lies. This episode—longer than a picture book but shorter than the original tale—is one small chapter in the exploits and adventures of Pinocchio, the boy wannabe. An illustrated adaptation, it follows the original M.A. Murray translation closely, yet succeeds without the long-windedness of the 1892 classic, and with all the rich language, spirited characters, and lively escapades intact. Inspired by the commedia dell'arte, the Italian traveling street theater of Collodi's time, Young (Night Visitors, 1995, etc.) has created scenes that authentically capture the playlike quality of the story. Reminiscent of his colorful cut-paper collage in Seven Blind Mice (1993), the array of characters and images cleverly reflect a stage production, complete with double-page spreads that act as scenery backdrops. It's an energetic rendition that invites the audience to meet again the mischievous puppet with all his foibles, setting the stage for an Oz-like ending that reaffirms the power of good.
