The Riddle Monster

by Lisl Weil

A monster that eats anyone unable to answer its riddle is thwarted by a thoughtful prince.

Lisl Weil was an year-old authoress, illustrator, and theatre set designer in Vienna and across Europe, to the United States. With over 100 books as well as children's music productions and television programs over her 96 years, she lived from January 1910 to February 2006!

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Lisl Weil was a children’s author and illustrator, most remembered for her ink and felt pen drawings. She was born in Vienna, Austria in 1910, and it was during her Austrian childhood that Weil gained her first interest in the arts, particularly in music and the visual arts. It was an interest that became a life long passion and pursuit. While living in Europe, Weil worked as an illustrator for various European periodicals; after immigrating to the United States in 1939, Weil became a U.S. citizen, married Julius Marx, and began writing and illustrating children’s books, an occupation that she continued for 37 years. Lisl Weil illustrated over 100 books, many of which she wrote. She also pursued her love for music, channeling her energy into a musical venture for children. She involved herself in performance art and created life-size drawings that were choreographed to move rhythmically to a musical score. She called this “a real picture ballet” and the ballets were performed for children at concert halls around the U.S. Weil was also involved in the television and film industries; one of her children’s stories was made into a movie and she had a weekly television show for children during 1963-1964. Weil passed away in February 2006.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustration of a person on a plate was rather disconcerting.

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered "The Riddle Monster", 1981, because its cover is cute and expressive. I wondered if it might make a gift for my tiny niece and nephew. I do not happen to find this book suitable but after reading up about its authoress and illustrator, I have a great deal of admiration for her. This is a thirty-page tale of a "Sphinx monster": with a woman's head, dog's body, bird's wings, and snake's tail. It ate people, finding them easy to catch because in older ages, there were few roads. The monster knew where to block travellers. Villagers, who appeared Roman, stayed indoors in fear. It did give them a chance to escape because riddle-making was its hobby. It was proud to think one up that was so tricky, his guessers couldn't solve it anyway.

I don't know if children's fables are less grotesque and evil than they were thirty-five years ago or if young ones today accept the fright factor for their entertainment but none of this is okay with me. I deem it healthier to highlight positive emotions and circumstances and would not have liked this myself, as a toddler. However I know scary fiction is taken lightly by many, especially with cute drawings brightening the tone and rendering grotesqueness unserious. My deal-breaker was pages 12 and 13. A stunned horse is depicted beside an empty chariot, instead of hauling tail and saving himself; then a man is prostrate across a plate! That was too awful.

Fortunately for us Lisl Weil, a Viennese who lived from 1910 to 2016, authored one-hundred other books! She embraced drawing, music, dancing and stage-design as a child. Her felt pen drawings are her trademark. In the United States, Lisl was unique for producing musically-choreographed images! I would happily seek her other work.