"All children, except one, grow up." Thus begins a great classic of children's literature that we all remember as magical. What we tend to forget, because the tale of Peter Pan and Neverland has been so relentlessly boiled down, hashed up, and coated in saccharine, is that J.M. Barrie's original version is also witty, sophisticated, and delightfully odd. The Darling children, Wendy, John, and Michael, live a very proper middle-class life in Edwardian London, but they also happen to have a Newfoundland for a nurse. The text is full of such throwaway gems as "Mrs. Darling first heard of Peter Pan when she was tidying up her children's minds," and is peppered with deliberately obscure vocabulary including "embonpoint," "quietus," and "pluperfect." Lest we forget, it was written in 1904, a relatively innocent age in which a plot about abducted children must have seemed more safely fanciful. Also, perhaps, it was an age that expected more of its children's books, for Peter Pan has a suppleness, lightness, and intelligence that are "literary" in the best sense. In a typical exchange with the dastardly Captain Hook, Peter Pan describes himself as "youth... joy... a little bird that has broken out of the egg," and the author interjects: "This, of course, was nonsense; but it was proof to the unhappy Hook that Peter did not know in the least who or what he was, which is the very pinnacle of good form." A book for adult readers-aloud to revel in--and it just might teach young listeners to fly. (Ages 5 and older) --Richard Farr


From School Library Journal
Grade 3-7-- A pleasure to view, read, and hold, this new edition of an old favorite deserves space in every collection. From jacket painting, to cover (with Tinker Bell embossed in gold), to endpapers (dark maps of Neverland), Gustafson's artwork opens doors to glimpses of old friends and to new interpretations. Fifty oil paintings reveal expressive, changing characters. Peter Pan is dewy-cheeked, spry, wicked. Maternal Wendy is tender, then stoic. Even Hook is at times downcast. The Indians, proud and handsome, avoid stereotype. Masterly composition and use of light create dramatic full-page illustrations, accompanied by cameos of ordinary objects (kite, bear, tea kettle). Compared to Hague's illustrations for Peter Pan (Holt, 1987), which were dark and surreal, these are light and vital. Handsome bookmaking, Barrie's text, and Gustafson's pictures combine to breathe new life into Peter Pan's old shadow. --Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MACopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
An unusually large, attractive, unabridged edition with dozens of full-page illustrations and smaller vignettes. In style, Gustafson's lusty oil paintings of the pirates are akin to N. C. Wyeth's, though they have more the flavor of compelling dramatic play than real menace. His slim, round-faced, rosy children and cozy interiors are closer to Wyeth's gifted student, Jessie Wilcox Smith, while the ethereal yet mischievous fairy folk recall Rackham. This is not to suggest that the result is merely derivative, in the manner of Michael Hague; Gustafson is a talented craftsman who skillfully melds his references to past greats to create an appropriately traditional style that has enough of a contemporary aura (especially in the characterizations) for broad popular appeal. An endpaper map of ``The Neverland'' and meticulous renditions of intriguing details add to the drama and fun. A perfect gift for a family that reads aloud. (Fiction. 5+) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Card catalog description
The adventures of the three Darling children in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. Features revolving pictures and lift-the-flap illustrations.

ANNOTATION

The adventures of the three Darling children in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The character of Peter Pan first came to life in the stories J. M. Barrie told to five brothers -- three of whom were named Peter, John, and Michael. Peter Pan is considered one of the greatest children's stories of all time and continues to charm readers one hundred years after its first appearance as a play in 1904.

SYNOPSIS

A story about a fairy (and tinkerbell too).

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A number of classic children's books return in milestone and reissued editions for a new generation. J.M. Barrie's enchanting Peter Pan: 100th Anniversary Edition features a large trim for reading aloud and rich, detailed illustrations by Michael Hague (which he originally published in 1987). Peter Pan's flyaway red hair and tattered garment of "skeleton leaves and the juices that ooze out of trees" capture the free spirit of the boy who refused to grow up. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

The Darling children, while drifting off to sleep, have often spoken to their mother of Peter Pan but she never quite understands. That is, until the night that the mischievous imp and his companion fairy, Tinker Bell, return to the Darling house to find his lost shadow. It is here that the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michael, receive their first flying lesson, and the first of many other adventures as they are whisked away to Peter's fanciful island of Neverland. This version of Barrie's classic tale is accompanied by the playful illustrations of the highly talented Trina Schart Hyman. Her full-page acrylic paintings particularly depict waif-like characters captured in subtle earthy tones. Her illustrations are done with such careful detail that one cannot help stop reading to study the pictures. Even so, they do not detract from the story itself;they simply add another dimension to the dreamlike quality of Neverland itself. This wonderful version of Peter Pan surely belongs in any home dedicated to the reading of quality literature. 2001, Scribner/Simon & Schuster, $25.00. Ages 7 up. Reviewer:Trina Heidt

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-- A pleasure to view, read, and hold, this new edition of an old favorite deserves space in every collection. From jacket painting, to cover (with Tinker Bell embossed in gold), to endpapers (dark maps of Neverland), Gustafson's artwork opens doors to glimpses of old friends and to new interpretations. Fifty oil paintings reveal expressive, changing characters. Peter Pan is dewy-cheeked, spry, wicked. Maternal Wendy is tender, then stoic. Even Hook is at times downcast. The Indians, proud and handsome, avoid stereotype. Masterly composition and use of light create dramatic full-page illustrations, accompanied by cameos of ordinary objects (kite, bear, tea kettle). Compared to Hague's illustrations for Peter Pan (Holt, 1987), which were dark and surreal, these are light and vital. Handsome bookmaking, Barrie's text, and Gustafson's pictures combine to breathe new life into Peter Pan's old shadow. --Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-This series entry presents Barrie's original text, minus a brief section in the first chapter in which Mr. and Mrs. Darling discuss whether they can afford to keep their three offspring. This omission is curious, since many of the author's asides to readers, which could keep students of psychology busy for years, remain. Nevertheless, the story of a boy who doesn't want to grow up and the three children who experience and abandon Neverland has achieved nearly archetypal status, so fresh editions of this 1911 story deserve attention. In this handsome volume, Edens has compiled artwork by more than 16 known illustrators (acknowledged at the conclusion). There are additional unattributed works, as well as art from playbills and posters-all spanning the years from 1904 to 1934. The presentation encompasses the willowy sprites of Arthur Rackham; the Kewpie-doll portraits of Wendy and the lost boys by Roy Best; the black-and-white realistic drawings of original illustrator, F. D. Bedford; and the romanticized watercolors full of fabric and embracing figures by Alice Woodward. Children who are used to suspending their disbelief amid an ever-changing string of virtual images and adults interested in early editions will enjoy the variety. Yet, despite the carefully considered design, there will be children who find the lack of a consistent look for the main characters disconcerting. Give those readers the edition with Scott Gustafson's striking oil paintings (Viking, 1991).-Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

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