***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: illustrated

Title: Grimm's Fairy Tales
Author: Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
Narrator(s): Jim Dale, Janis Ian, Alfred Molina, Katherine Kellgren
Series: n/a
Length: 3 hrs 39 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: May 10, 2016
Source: audiobook for review from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES is the latest installment in Listening Library’s Classics series, which also includes Jack London’s The Call of the Wild; Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; HG Wells’ The Time Machine; and L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Each title in the series features evocative narrations by Jeff Daniels, Brooke Shields, Sir Derek Jacobi, and James Frain and original cover art by illustrators Jerry Pinckney, Carson Ellis, Brian Floca and Noelle Stevenson.

Divya Srinivasan, whose illustrations have been featured on album covers and in work for This American Life and The New Yorker in addition to her own picture books, Little Owl’s Night, Little Owl’s Day, and Octopus Alone, contributed original cover art for GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES. She is also an avid audiobook user, listening while she sketches.

The GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES audio collection includes 21 classic stories:

Rapunzel, read by Katherine Kellgren
The Six Swans, read by Davina Porter
Cinderella, read by January LaVoy
The Twelve Huntsmen, read by Dion Graham
Little Red-Cap, read by Simon Vance
The Goose-Girl, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Little Briar-Rose, read by Grover Gardner
Sweet Porridge, read by Jayne Entwistle
Little Snow-White, read by Kate Rudd
The Golden Goose, read by Luke Daniels
Rumplestiltskin, read by Jim Dale
Eve’s Various Children, read by Roy Dotrice
Snow-White and Rose-Red, read by Julia Whelan
The Elves, read by Bahni Turpin
A Riddling Tale, read by Janis Ian
The Twelve Brothers, read by Graeme Malcolm
The Sea-Hare, read by Mark Bramhall
The Frog-King, or Iron Henry, read by Kirby Heyborne
The White Snake, narrated by Scott Brick
Hansel and Gretel, read by Robin Miles
The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces, read by Alfred Molina

Even though I know that these are all classic tales, I feel like I'm reading them for the first time, like they've been reinvented with a grown-up me in mind: dark and macabre and grotesque. But that's probably because I grew up with the watered-down Disney versions for the most part. Not that I haven't read my fair share of these sometimes bloody lessons in morality, but I love having them all in one place like this, and narrated by such a fabulous all-star cast.

I love the narration of these stories. This collection kicks off with the incomparable Katherine Kellgren reciting Rapunzel and her performance is perfection. She really nails that witch. And January LaVoy delivers a heart-breaking rendition of Cinderella. Her narration always features so many varied voices and emotions. As does Jim Dale's, whose account of Rumplestiltskin is on par for what I expect from such a talented narrator. From the delightfully whimsical to the perfunctory yet magical performances, this well-rounded cast lends the perfect voice to each of these tales.

The musical interludes between each tale were lovely and magical and added just that extra something to the collection. I would love to have these tales bound up with that artwork from the cover to share with my daughter, but I know she'll love this audiobook just the same...when she's read for such grim tales. ;)

GIF it to me straight:

About the illustrator:

Divya Srinivasan lives with her daughter in Austin, Texas. Her illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, and she has done work for This American Life, They Might Be Giants, Sundance Channel, Sufjan Stevens, and Weird Al Yankovic, among others. Divya was also an animator on the film Waking Life. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books Little Owl's Night, Octopus Alone, and Little Owl's Day (published by Viking Children's Books).

Find Divya:

Website | Goodreads

Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, brothers grimm, children's books, fairy tales, grimm's fairy tales, illustrated, penguin, reviews

Title: What Does the Fox Say
Author: Ylvis
Illustrator: Svein Nyhus
Series: n/a
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Publication Date: December 10, 2013
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Do you know what the fox says? Based on the hugely popular YouTube video with more than 200 million views, this picture book is packed full of foxy fun.

Dog goes woof. Cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet and mouse goes squeak…

But what does the fox say?

The lyrics of Ylvis’s YouTube sensation “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” meet Svein Nyhus’s playful illustrations in this irresistibly entertaining read-aloud picture book.

By now, surely you've all seen the YouTube video that inspired this book. I was only directed toward it in the last month or so, but once I showed it to my daughter, it was played on a daily basis in my house. And the song is now stuck in my head forever as a result.

As with most YouTube sensations, it started out innocently enough. Says Bård Ylvisåker of THE FOX: "This song is made for a TV show and is supposed to entertain a few Norwegians for three minutes — and that's all. It was done just a few days ago and we recently had a screening in our office. About 10 people watched — nobody laughed." (From the duo's website.) So, it wasn't intentionally a children's song, but I know plenty of kids who love it, my own included.

Which is how this gorgeously illustrated book came about, I'm sure. The text of the book is the song from the video verbatim, but the illustrations are what make this book worth it. They're the kind that I'd frame and hang on my daughter's wall: colorful, expressive, and whimsical. They pair perfectly with the hilarity of the song/video.

I read this to my daughter last night, and she loved it, just as I expected she would. Actually, first, we played the video as we read along to the song, singing along with it. Then we went back to the beginning and read the words while we perused the illustrations. The review copy wasn't formatted perfectly, but it actually made it easier to hold the book so that she could see as I was reading it to her. In the hardcover format, I'm sure there will be no such issues. I can't wait for Katie to have a finished copy and experience the beautiful illustrations up close and in person.

I already have plans to purchase the hardcover for Katie for Christmas, as well as for all the nieces and nephews. I actually kind of want my own untarnished copy, too. It's the perfect addition to your child's book collection, or your own, if, like me, you have an affinity for collecting pretty books or books with pretty things between the covers.

About the authors:

Ylvis is a comedy duo from Norway consisting of brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker. They debuted as professional variety artists in 2000 and have since had a string of highly successful variety shows, humoristic concerts, TV shows, radio shows and music videos. They are currently the host of popular Norwegian talk show, I kveld med Ylvis ("Tonight, with Ylvis"). Their song "The Fox" went viral on YouTube in September 2013 with over 230 million views, which brought the brothers to international attention.

Find Ylvis:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

About the illustrator:

Svein Nyhus is a Norwegian illustrator and writer of children's books. Svein Nyhus was born in Tønsberg as the twin brother of caricaturist Egil Nyhus. He took his education at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry from 1981 to 1985. Svein Nyhus has illustrated his own texts as well as books by his wife, Norwegian poet Gro Dahle. His own books include Drømmemaskinen ("The Dreammachine", 1995), Pappa! ("Daddy!", 1998), Verden har ingen hjørner ("The World Has No Corners", 1999), Lille Lu og Trollmannen Bulibar ("Little Lu And Bulibar The Wizard", 2001), Ingen ("Nobody", 2002) and Jeg! ("Me!", 2004), Opp og ut ("Up And Away", 2008) and Sånt som er ("Things That Are", 2010). In 2004 he illustrated Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns, a picture book written by Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. His books have been translated into several languages.

In 2013 Svein Nyhus illustrated What Does the Fox Say?, a children's picture book based on Ylvis's YouTube hit The Fox.

Find Svein:

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest