Sindbad in the Land of Giants: From the Tales of the Thousand and One Nights (Sinbad Trilogy) - Softcover

Ludmila Zeman is an award-winning author, artist, and filmmaker. Her trilogy retelling of the story of Gilgamesh won international awards and has numerous foreign-language editions. The art from all three of the Gilgamesh books was displayed at the Bologna Book Fair. Born in the Czech Republic, Ludmila Zeman now lives in Montreal.

Gr 2-5-Continuing the tales begun in her Sindbad (Tundra, 1999), Zeman retells another yarn from A Thousand and One Nights. Despite vows to stay put, the sailor finds the call of adventure too great and sets off on a disastrous voyage. Driven off course by cruel winds, he and his crewmates wash up on the terrifying Mountain of the Monkeys. From there, it's all downhill for the luckless crew-the men encounter a castle garnished with human bones, a terrible beast with eyes like fire and a taste for raw sailor, serpents and sea creatures, and more-will Sindbad ever escape? And how? The story only takes hapless readers so far, before promising more in a future book. Engagingly written, the story is fleshed out by Zeman's pencil, colored-pencil, and watercolor illustrations. Richly detailed, with intricate borders, the pictures are strongly reminiscent of Near Eastern miniatures, thus evoking the culture from which the story springs. Readers will pore over the art, drawing detail from it to enhance the text. John Yeoman's The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor (McElderry, 1997) is a broader work, and certainly Quentin Blake's illustrations provide a contrast in style. But for those who like adventure stories with gorgeous artwork, this title is a sound addition to folklore collections.

Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA

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