School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4 Two more editions of Pinocchio, one of the best loved literary fairy tales, are now available. Each illustra tor has captured well the mood of his version: Innocenti the full translation of this strongly moralistic tale; and Am brus the humor and delight Riordan's fluent retelling. Innocenti's dramatic illustrations, in rich, dark colors, extend and interpret the text, and the handsome design of the book is appropriate to this classic tale. The writing, in keeping with the time in which the book was written, is strongly moralistica far cry from the Disney version with which young children and their parents may be familiar. The long, moralistic passages may make this translation of the original tough going for modern youngsters. Riordan's retelling of Pinocchio is an excellent alternative to the original Collodi version. His retelling, while very close to the original, reads much more smoothly than a close translation of the original, which lacks rhythm and flow. The writing retains the style and all the salient features of the original; however, chapters have been combined and moralistic passages simplified or condensed for readability. This version will be a joy to teachers, librarians, and parents who want to acquaint children with this classic tale. Each illustrator has captured well the mood of his version; where Innocenti's is dark and brooding, Ambrus' is bright and humorous. Ambrus alternates black-and-white line drawings with full-color illustrations in his lighter, more readable version. Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4-7. Librarians wanting to add a new edition of Pinocchio to their collections will find these two books offer diverse interpretations. Innocenti, whose work was last seen in Rose Blanche [BKL N 1 85] uses a somber approach. Dark colors dominate the backgrounds; large buildings and sinister details often give a foreboding cast to the illustrations. His work is meticulous and deliberate, his Pinocchio a tragic figure. Ambrus' jovial drawings have a lighter tone and robust characters that spill across the pages in vibrant colors. Though Innocenti provides a more artistically original rendition, Ambrus' work will undoubtedly strike a more responsive chord in children. BE.
