Pinocchio

by Ed Young (Adapter), Carlo Collodi

The adventures of a talking wooden puppet whose nose grows whenever he tells a lie. An abridged version of this classic that nevertheless captures its flavor and excitement.

Presenting that mischievous puppet Pinocchio! Gepetto, his long-suffering father; Fox and Cat, those demons of the night; Fire-Eater, the wicked puppet master; Cricket, a constant friend; Blue Fairy, an even more constant friend; Candlewick, a wild, wonderful companion; Dogfish, a great mysterious enemy.

Welcome to this theater, where you will see the mischievous Pinocchio, barely a chunk of wood, dare to run away from his own sweet father, who only wants the best for him. You will be amazed that he turns his back on a kind cricket, and more amazed that, instead of going to school, he takes up with the dastardly Fox and Cat, who promise him thousands of gold coins. As if all that were not enough, your breath will be taken away when you see - just as he is about to become a real boy -- this Pinocchio decides to run away with the Lost Boys and turns into ... Well, you will see what he turns into. And you will see how upon being swallowed by Dogfish he is given one last chance to find his way to his dear papa, and to his home.

Ed Young's version of this classic tale is like no other, valuing Collodi's original text and giving it full and hearty play upon the stage of this unique art. This is a book for lovers of puppets and children and adventure everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Classics

44 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 1996

About the author

Ed Young is the illustrator of more than eighty books for children, seventeen of which he has also written. Among his books is the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, which he both wrote and illustrated. He says that his work is inspired by the philosophy of Chinese painting. He lives in Westchester County, New York.

Reviews

[Janene · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprise! I grabbed this copy at the library, sort of on a whim, thinking my kids should as least know this story, since we've never watched the Disney animated together. Once we began, this was especially anticipated and enjoyed by my eight and eleven-year-old. But honestly, I was quite taken with it myself, not so much by the illustrations as the fine writing and the sound and memorable character lessons taught. I feel this is a story that all the little people should hear.

There are about a billion different publications. I had to search high and low for some minutes to pin down the exact one we read. Did you know Pinocchio was written almost 150 years ago, published in weekly installments in the first Italian children's newspaper? I think this copy did have Collodi's own words, which were just right, and the scrappy collage-type illustrations are by Ed Young. I'm going to keep my eyes out for the copy I will add to my personal collection.

[Barbara DaCosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed Young's Pinocchio art is fascinating. He illustrated my Nighttime Ninja 16 years later, and I can see the threads of connection between the two. Both unique, but the ways in which he played with the paper and other materials he used, and the masterful hand at work in drawing, planning, and incredibly detailed papercutting are all there in both. Savor this art!

[Bree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Notes::
This Ed Young version is so strange I could barely finish it.