Tales of King Arthur: The Sword in the Stone (Books of Wonder)

From Publishers Weekly The classic story of Arthur's discovery of his noble birthright under Merlin the sorcerer's watchful eye receives some contemporary touches in this attractive volume. The author/illustrator of We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story presents young Arthur as unprepossessing, content to attend to his duties as his knighted brother's squire, dazzled when he is brought to London, reluctant to forsake his adoptive father for the throne of England. The illustrations encompass a range of styles--street scenes bustle; pictures of tournaments surge with energy; depictions of public assemblies suggest the anonymity of crowds. A bit less successfully, a few ethereal or studiously reverent illustrations herald the future glory of Arthur. On the whole, however, the drama in Arthur's feat of removing the famous sword from the stone on Christmas Day is not merely preserved but heightened. All ages. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 3-5-- The highlight of this adaptation of the coming of Arthur is the illustrations--vivid watercolors ranging from small vignettes to richly detailed double-page spreads. Costumes, armaments, and crowd scenes are especially eye-catching. Unfortunately, the text is less impressive. For some reason, Talbott strays from Malory's original from time to time, as when Arthur goes in search of a sword for his brother Kay, and later when Kay tries to claim Excalibur for his own. Instead of Kay's having left his sword behind and sending Arthur grumbling back to locked lodgings to look for it, here it is Arthur's error. Later, Kay yields the magic sword because he fails to return it to the stone, not, as Malory tells us, because he refuses to lie to his father under oath. Kay's basic honesty is here reduced to petulance--a minor point, but puzzling all the same. Acceptable because of the high quality of the art and the dearth of other versions for this age level, but otherwise not a first purchase. --Barbara Hutcheson, Greater Victoria Public Library, B.C., CanadaCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.