Prince Ivan and the Firebird

by Cherry Gilchrist

When the youngest son of a king sets out to find the firebird which has been stealing golden apples from his father's tree, he meets a gray wolf who helps him with his quest

31 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Cherry Gilchrist is a lover of all things ancient and mysterious. Field research for her books has taken her into Russian forests, Silk Road Yurts and to meet stone heads on Easter Island. She has written books on alchemy, mythology, family history and personal relationships. Her latest book, The Circle of Nine relates nine feminine archetypes to everyday lives of women. Cherry has also run a vintage clothes shop, a Russian crafts gallery, taught creative writing and performed as an early music singer. She is a graduate of Cambridge University, and holds a post-graduate diploma from the University of Bath Spa. As a lecturer, she has given many talks at venues ranging from the Temenos Academy to the British Council, the Royal Academy, and the Queen Elizabeth II cruise liner. At present she lives near Stroud, with her husband, artist Robert Lee-Wade and two black cats for luck. She has two grown-up children and two granddaughters. Find her at www.cherrygilchrist.co.uk and www.circleofnine.org

Reviews

[Carfig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated by Andrei Troshkov with golden hues. Prince Ivan and his brothers are asked by dad to figure out who is stealing the golden apples from his orchard. The first two brothers fall asleep while on watch but are too proud to admit it. Ivan stays awake but is unable to catch the firebird, getting a feather instead. His dad obsesses about the firebird instead of his orchard, thus beginning the quest by all three brothers to find the firebird. Ivan is successful with the help of an unlikely ally--a grey wolf. Even though Ivan doesn't follow the wolf's advice to the letter and gets in trouble, the wolf continues to help him get the horse with the golden mane and the lovely princess. Now all Ivan has to do is get all the prizes back to his father's palace.

[Rafael · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the third son of a king sets out to find the Firebird which has been stealing apples from the king's tree, he encounters a gray wolf who aides him with his journey. The illustrations are vivid and rich, adding dimension to this retelling of a classic tale. Gilchrist builds upon 19th-century Russian writer Afanasiev's version for her creative retelling, breathing new life into in this story of sibling rivalry and mystical voyage. In the end, Prince Ivan is brought back to life after his jealous brothers murder him, wins the hand of the beautiful Princess, and he lives happily ever after. This would be good for children in fourth and fifth grades as a way to introduce Russian folktales under the genre of Traditional Literature.

[Jaime Kyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my most fave folktales and childhood bedtime stories:) an exciting and 'fantasical' story!