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Title: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: A Russian Tale
ISBN: 0374324425
Author:
Arthur Ransome
Publicate Date: 1968-01-01
Publish: 1968-01-01
List Price: $17.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $10.64
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.46
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.56
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Russian Folktale about determination and friendship.
"The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" has remained to be one of the greatest Russian folktales ever told and has spawn many popular movies such as "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen." This story is written by Arthur Ransome along with illustrations by Uri Shulevitz and is an instant treat!
The story starts out with a peasant fool whose older brothers are more favored by his parents than him. One day, the Czar of Russia proclaims that whoever builds a flying ship will marry his daughter, the princess. The two older brothers start on their way as their parents give them delicious food and lavish clothes. When the fool spots all this, he begs for his parents' permission too, but his parents only scoff at him and only give him bread and water. The fool meets a strange old man along the way and they end up having beautiful feast together. Then, the old man tells the fool to follow some instructions in building a flying ship. The fool follows these instructions and has a flying ship in no time. As the fool sails in his ship, he meets a listener, a runner, a sharpshooter, a drinker, an eater, a hay-carrier, and a brushwood carrier. They head to the Czar's palace and the Czar is none too pleased about the guests, so he sets them impossible tasks to do.
This book has simplistic yet clear drawings and an imaginative style of storytelling that should be a favorite among children and paves way for other cult classics. Also, check out the Rabbit Ears' version narrated by Robin Williams. It is hilarious and creative.
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2: Fairy Tale Treasure
So I am a sucker for fairy tales. What else do you want me to do? In true Russian fashion, a practically universal story is made larger-than-life to celebrate the underdog and spit on the upperclass. Social uprising, anyone? Political intentions aside, it's a fun, witty story for all ages, and the illustrations in those bold colors and Russian intricacy add so much!
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3: Moral: Riches make one clever
The story of the fool and his remarkable flying ship is a classic through and through. The classic tale of how a single man is able, with the help of his clever friends, to fulfill every task the local ruler (in this case, the Czar) sets before him is both a pleasure to read and a joy to reread. In the case of the 1968 edition of this story, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz, I can't say that this is the definitive version of the tale to read to your kids. It's enjoyable, yes. It has a nice text and it flows rather well. Unfortunately, the illustrations are a bit lax and while the book is a good read, it doesn't endear itself as much as it might to the average child reader.
In this book, there was once a boy who was a fool who had two elder brothers who were intelligent. The Czar commands that whosoever brings before him a flying ship shall marry his daughter. Intrigued, the elder brothers take off to do the deed and are never heard from again. The fool also goes off and in his travels he meets a wise old man. After sharing his repast, the old man gives the lad some strict instructions that sound ridiculous but ultimately lead to a beautiful flying ship. Once the lad takes off he gathers with him every man he sees on the road, no matter how bizarre. After landing in the Czar's backyard, the peasants on the ship do not sufficiently impress the lofty ruler. He then proceeds to set a series of incredibly difficult tasks for the fool, but in the end the magic men and the boy overcome every last one. Finally, the fool marries the princess and (as a result of his riches) is now handsome, clever, and impresses everyone he meets. The end.
Completely disregarding an ending where not only do the clothes make the man but wealth as well, the book is a good one. Randsome has a nice grasp on the best ways in which to tell this tale, and the escalating silliness is impressive. I don't wish to put down the art that illustrator Uri Shulevitz worked so hard to produce for the book, but let's face facts. This is fairly bland stuff. Drawn with rather sketchy pencils and lines, the book is adequate but by no means overwhelming. The fool appears as an apple-cheeked young rapscallion but you don't really feel anything for him. Undoubtedly there are those that have loved these pictures since their youth and will be deaf to any criticisms I might offer. In such cases as those I'll merely say that should you wish to purchase this story, I recommend you sample other versions as well until you find just the right one. I doubt you'd be disappointed by a little comparison shopping. Though a fine creation and a loving book, it could do with a little pepping up in the art department.
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4: could be even better
The story is great, if a little predictable. The young fool sets off to find a flying ship and thereby win the princess. A magical old man helps him find the ship, then the fool picks up a bunch of people on the way to the czar's palace, all of whom have these weird special talents. Once at the palace, the czar doesn't want to hand over his daughter and sets before the fool a number of tasks, which amusingly, but somewhat predictably line up with the special skills of each of the people he picked up along the way.The illustrations leave a lot to be desired. Although they are fun, detailed and colorful, they miss many chances to illustrate the story more dramatically. This is surprising given that the illustrator claims in his bio to be a filmmaker in addition to a children's book author. His illustrations need some close-ups and more interesting angles! Still, I would recommend this book, it is a wonderful example of a Russian folk tale. In the hands of another author and illustrator, it could be even better!
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5: My Favorite Picture Book
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome with illustrations by Uri Shulevitz is easily my favorite picture book. Everything is perfect about the book. First of all the pictures are marvelous. All of Shulevitz's books have good pictures, but this might be his best. The pictures jump off the page with their color and with the humor portrayed in them. The story is, of course, the best part of the book. The story is hilarious with marvelously interesting characters. It also has some good morals like "God loves simple folk." I work in a library, and adults and kids all love this book. I have also seen the book performed for children, and it proved to be excellent for reading aloud. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is an amazing picture book and deseves is Caldecott Medal and its classic status.
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