From Publishers Weekly
"Paintings by Grandma Moses's great-grandson make a striking match for the classic story," said PW. Ages 5-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-The Legend of Sleepy Hollow takes place in Tarrytown, and tells the story of schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, Connecticut native, who comes to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. He becomes the neighborhood song master, reads Cotton Mather, steeps himself in local folklore, and competes with Brom Bones for the affections of Katrina. One afternoon, after being rebuffed by Katrina, he briskly rides off on his landlord's horse, sees an apparition of a headless horseman, and is never seen again in Sleepy Hollow. The townspeople have a myriad of theories concerning his disappearance. Rip Van Winkle is the short tale of a henpecked man who is very much liked by the townspeople, but is a failure as a farmer and family man. He journeys up the mountains one afternoon with his dog and stumbles upon a strangely dressed group of men who offer him a drink that puts him to sleep for 20 years. The world to which he awakens is greatly changed. George Vafiadis provides flawless narration for these tales by Washington Irving. His voice is strong, distinctive, and clear. Students may find this audio version helpful in understanding these tales set in the 18th century. The language is archaic and patronizing to women and blacks, although it is was appropriate to the time. The action takes place after a great deal of description, and middle schoolers may miss the tongue-in-cheek humor. Students may need prompting to listen to these two tales. That said, these classic tales are steeped in atmosphere and reveal a great deal about the social and political history of the time.Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NYCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
The St. Charles Players bring a classic of American horror to life in this full-cast performance. Unlike the recent film version of SLEEPY HOLLOW, the script remains true to Irving's original tale, adding dialogue and additional ghost stories to flesh out the plot. The acting throughout is uneven. But overall, this play is pleasant entertainment based faithfully on a classic story of horror. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Many folk-art paintings illustrate this simplified retelling of Washington Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Varied in size from small vignettes to double-page spreads, the colorful paintings are reminiscent of the works of Moses' great-grandmother, better known as Grandma Moses. A large-format picture book that will fill a need in some libraries. Carolyn Phelan


From Book News, Inc.
The unabridged text of Washington Irving's classic folktale is illustrated by Gary Kelley's evocative color chalk drawings and b&w gravestone rubbings. 8x13". Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Midwest Book Review
This requires good reading skills from kids, but presents a fine dramatic retelling of the Irving classic which tells of a superstitious schoolmaster's love and his frightening encounter with the headless horseman. Excellent illustrations abound.


Review
"Washington Irving... makes Nathaniel Hawthorne read like Dr. Seuss!"


Book Description
"Time hasn't dulled the suspense and humor of Irving's chilling tale....The added treat here is the inviting art of Will Moses." --Parents' Choice

Told true to the original, the tale of the Headless Horseman and his effect on Ichabod Crane is enhanced by brooding, fitting folk-art illustrations.

"Will Moses, the great-grandson of Grandma Moses, has illuminated the original with a fluent retelling and handsome illustrations in an eminently suitable folk-art style....The dynamic full-color illustrations make the book spectacular....Simply splendid!" --The Horn Book, starred review

"The text is lively and compelling [and] the primitive paintings enhance the Hudson Valley setting." --School Library Journal


Download Description
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Featured is the terrifying headless horseman, the gawky Ichabod Crane and the peerless Katerina.


Card catalog description
In the first of these stories from the Catskill Mountains, a superstitious schoolmaster encounters a headless horseman; in the second, a man sleeps for twenty years, waking to a much-changed world.


Simon & Schuster
When Ichabod Crane becomes the new schoolmaster of Sleepy Hollow, he quickly and happily adjusts to the local ways. He delights in the bountiful dinners he's served when visiting the prosperous farms of the region; he enjoys the local yarns and scary legends that fill the firelit evenings of autumn; and he comes to love the idea of marrying Katrina Van Tassel and of one day owning her father's wealth and lands. There's one problem with his plans, though: Brom Bones, the local hero, who decided long ago to wed Katrina himself. And now, to his annoyance, this pasty-faced bookworm named Ichabod is making a serious bid. This droll tale of romantic rivalry climaxes with the appearance of the Headless Horseman. The spirited narration by Glenn Close, radiant illustrations by Robert Van Nutt, and original music by Tim Story capture all the wit, fun, and shivers of this early American tale. In 1988 the audio was honored with a Grammy nomination in the category of best recording for children.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Will Moses, the great-grandson of Grandma Moses, has illustrated this American classic with a liveliness that its creator might have appreciated. This conjuring tale is a Halloween must.
— Rosemary Marotta

ANNOTATION

A superstitious schoolmaster, in love with a wealthy farmer's daughter, has a terrifying encounter with a headless horseman.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Ichabod Crane becomes the new schoolmaster of Sleepy Hollow, he quickly and happily adjusts to the local ways. He delights in the bountiful dinners he's served when visiting the prosperous farms of the region; he enjoys the local yarns and scary legends that fill the firelit evenings of autumn; and he comes to love the idea of marrying Katrina Van Tassel and of one day owning her father's wealth and lands. There's one problem with his plans, though: Brom Bones, the local hero, who decided long ago to wed Katrina himself. And now, to his annoyance, this pasty-faced bookworm named Ichabod is making a serious bid. This droll tale of romantic rivalry climaxes with the appearance of the Headless Horseman. The spirited narration by Glenn Close, radiant illustrations by Robert Van Nutt, and original music by Tim Story capture all the wit, fun, and shivers of this early American tale. In 1988 the audio was honored with a Grammy nomination in the category of best recording for children.

SYNOPSIS

Since this story's first appearance in 1820, generations of readers, young and old, have thrilled to the headless horseman galloping through the haunted woods of Sleepy Hollow. The rollicking tale of Ichabod Crane and his ill-fated courtship of Katrina Van Tassel has proven irresistible to illustrators. Now Michael Garland brings his trademark realism to this immortal classic with paintings that are as crisp and clear as a Halloween night in Sleepy Hollow.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW Washington Irving, illus. by Michael Garland. Boyds Mills, $8.95 ISBN 1-56397-605-6. Full-page oil paintings illustrate this unabridged edition of the classic spine-tingler. All ages. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Paintings by Grandma Moses's great-grandson make a striking match for the classic story," said PW. Ages 5-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde

Kelley makes a significant contribution to picture books for young adults with his skillful rendition of Irving's classic The Legend of Sleepy Hallow. Kelley drew his inspiration from the painters of the late 18th century. He uses style, color and light to reflect the tones of the Flemish masters and revive the Hudson Valley life of the early Dutch settlers. Green predominates, giving a woodsy feel while creating a strong sense of setting and time. Kelley also adopts the illustrative vision of the 1700's where he depicts a horse galloping with front and back legs extended, as they were in the period (artists didn't have photography to show them that a horse doesn't gallop that way). All these things add to the feeling of the period.

Children's Literature

Even before this spooky tale begins, the illustration on the cover of this book will send a shiver down the spine of most readers. This is the tale of an obnoxious school teacher, Ichabod Crane, and his attempts to win the hand of Katrina, the beautiful daughter of a rich, local farmer. Katrina is already being courted by the handsome and fearless Brom Bones who is famous for his tricks and practical jokes. Ichabod's greed and foolishness eventually lead him on a very long and eventful ride home from a party one night in the company of the headless horseman. Will Moses is the great-grandson of Grandma Moses, the painter famous for her primitive, folk art style and it shows. He has inherited both her style and talent, which are entirely appropriate for this deliciously scary retelling of Washington Irving's 1820 story.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-- An unabridged version of the classic tale of Ichabod Crane, his affection for the wealthy and beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, and his confrontation with the Headless Horseman. Despite Irving's outmoded narrative style, this is still an excellent ghost story that combines appropriate amounts of humor and terror while integrating Germanic legend with New England folklore, specifically that of New York State. Garland's realistic oil paintings are either portraitures or landscapes. The former are reminiscent of Barry Moser's work, while the latter resemble those by Thomas Locker. While these illustrations act as a sophisticated balance to Irving's wordy narrative, they do not consistently evoke the mood of Arthur Rackham's interpretation (1990). In her retelling for younger children (1987, both Morrow), Diane Wolkstein avoids the African-American stereotypes that Irving used for ``comic relief'' and concentrates on telling a good story, eliminating the complicated and archaic language of the period. All in all, this new version is useful where additional copies of the unabridged edition are needed. --Andrew W. Hunter, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg, Charlotte, NC

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION

Washington Irving is considered by many to be the father of American literature. He died in 1859.

Michael Garland has made an indelible mark on the world of children's literature. His rich,colorful artwork captures the flavor of Washington Irving's classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Elizabeth Friedrich's Leah's Pony, Corinne Demas Bliss's Electra and the Charlotte Russe, and Ann Tompert's Saint Patrick and Saint Nicholas.

Mr. Garland wrote and illustrated Angel Cat, Dinner at Magritte's, Circus Girl, and My Cousin Katie, which was named an ALA Booklist Editors' Choice and a NCSS-CBC Notable Childrens Trade Book in the field of social studies. One of his paintings from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was included in the 1992 Society of Illustrators' Annual Show, and the entire book was selected for the organization's "Original Art of Children's Books" exhibit also in 1992.