Overview

When the Selfish Giant builds a high wall round his lovely garden to keep the children out, the North Wind blows, the Frost comes and the Snow dances through the trees. The Giant wonders why Spring never comes to his cold, white garden. Then one day the Giant looks out to see a most wonderful sight . . . Oscar Wilde's much-loved fairy-tale is brought to life again with beautiful illustrations by Michael Foreman and Freire Wright. %%%When the Selfish Giant builds a high wall round his lovely garden to keep the children out, the North Wind blows, the Frost comes and the Snow dances through the trees. The Giant wonders why Spring never comes to his cold, white garden. Then one day the Giant looks out to see a most wonderful sight . . . Oscar Wilde's much-loved fairy-tale is brought to life again with beautiful illustrations by Michael Foreman and Freire Wright.

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9780140503838

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Reviews

The Selfish Giant is a musical, artistic and literary tour de force. Dan Goeller has created a stunning work that summons just the right musical tension and release with his compelling orchestrations. I can't think of any age group who would not be thoroughly enthralled with the confluence of these three artistic expressions in the telling of this story. --Greg Nelson, seven-time Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer The reillustration of any classic fairy story is always cause of celebration. Yet it is rare to find a book take quite as much joy in the original text as artist Chris Beatrice has here. Playing with light and beauty, Beatrice brings Oscar Wilde's original story to rip-roaring life. You can practically smell the thick perfumes of the flowers in this garden, or feel the warm spring breezes. Without a doubt, this is the best illustrated version of this tale that I have ever seen. Period. --Betsy Bird, children's librarian, New York Public Library, and member, Newberry Award committee Here is a celebration of wonder and love. Goeller's music is a perfect complement to Wilde's story and Beatrice's paintings. I'm thrilled to see this old story gain new life in such a beautiful way. --Kathi Apelt, Newberry Honor winner and National Book finalist, and author, The Underneath A veritable feast for the eyes and ears. --Joseph Pearce, author, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde I really enjoyed my first reading of The Selfish Giant . My enjoyment increased hugely upon listening to Dan Goeller's imaginative and beautifully orchestrated musical setting. As with all great musical settings of words and images, Mr. Goeller's music gives wings to the story. --Keith Lockhart, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra What makes this new book stand out is the CD and the music. I would guess that this could easily become a real favorite with young children. If you're looking for fairy tale entertainment, then The Selfish Giant is a good place to start. --Ann Giles, blogger, The Bookwitch , and columnist, The Guardian A window into both this wonderful story and the world of the orchestra. --Delta David Gier, former conductor and host, NY Philharmonic Young People's Concert Series

The 1888 classic illustrated in a more robust and detailed manner than Zwerger's misty, ethereal version (Picture Book Studio, 1984). Here the illustrator, whose work first appeared in Mary Pope Osborne's Moonhorse (Knopf, 1991) has chosen to depict a fully imagined world, complete with 19th-century period detail: children in caps and pinafores playing with hoops and sticks and marionettes; the giant toting his lute, portmanteau, and picnic basket; the Hail personified as a blind man in pantaloons and a hat straight out of Tenniel tapping with his umbrella on the roof slates. The palette is soft brown, green, peach, and gold; even the snow-and-ice scenes have a faint golden glow. The face of the little Christ-figure is never shown, preserving the mystery of the text. For all its period aura, Gallagher's style is distinctly modern, marked by the use of extreme high and low vantage points and seemingly random cropping, so that even important figures and objects may be cut off by the frame. The effect is somewhat like looking into a room through a keyhole; because the aperture is not large enough to encompass the entire scene, the result is an intense focus on that part of it that can be seen. Dramatic and memorable. (Kirkus Reviews)

The Selfish Giant is a musical, artistic and literary tour de force. Dan Goeller has created a stunning work that summons just the right musical tension and release with his compelling orchestrations. I can't think of any age group who would not be thoroughly enthralled with the confluence of these three artistic expressions in the telling of this story. --Greg Nelson, seven-time Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer I really enjoyed my first reading of The Selfish Giant . My enjoyment increased hugely upon listening to Dan Goeller's imaginative and beautifully orchestrated musical setting. As with all great musical settings of words and images, Mr. Goeller's music gives wings to the story. --Keith Lockhart, conductor, Boston Pops Orchestra What makes this new book stand out is the CD and the music. I would guess that this could easily become a real favorite with young children. If you're looking for fairy tale entertainment, then The Selfish Giant is a good place to start. --Ann Giles, blogger, The Bookwitch , and columnist, The Guardian Here is a celebration of wonder and love. Goeller's music is a perfect complement to Wilde's story and Beatrice's paintings. I'm thrilled to see this old story gain new life in such a beautiful way. --Kathi Apelt, Newberry Honor winner and National Book finalist, and author, The Underneath A veritable feast for the eyes and ears. --Joseph Pearce, author, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde The reillustration of any classic fairy story is always cause of celebration. Yet it is rare to find a book take quite as much joy in the original text as artist Chris Beatrice has here. Playing with light and beauty, Beatrice brings Oscar Wilde's original story to rip-roaring life. You can practically smell the thick perfumes of the flowers in this garden, or feel the warm spring breezes. Without a doubt, this is the best illustrated version of this tale that I have ever seen. Period. --Betsy Bird, children's librarian, New York Public Library, and member, Newberry Award committee A window into both this wonderful story and the world of the orchestra. --Delta David Gier, former conductor and host, NY Philharmonic Young People's Concert Series

Here is a celebration of wonder and love. Goeller's music is a perfect complement to Wilde's story and Beatrice's paintings. I'm thrilled to see this old story gain new life in such a beautiful way. --Kathi Apelt, Newberry Honor winner and National Book finalist, and author, The Underneath

Author Information

Michael Foreman is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator.

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