From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8 - Dramatic illustrations and formal language describe a medieval world of knights and castles in this picture-book adaptation of Scott's romantic classic. Mayer stresses the basic plot and quickly establishes the facts: hatred and rivalry are strong between the Saxons and the Normans; Ivanhoe has been disowned; Rowena and Ivanhoe are in love. Two short paragraphs of historical information and a cast of characters help novices to quickly grasp the conflict that drives the tale. In this much shortened version, some characters and subplots are omitted, and some development is also lost; however, the fast-paced simplification succeeds in creating a good adventure story. The dialogue-filled narrative reads much like a screenplay or comic book where excitement and danger come to life. The plot moves swiftly from a feast at Rotherwood castle to the royal tournament, Ivanhoe's imprisonment, his subsequent rescue by Robin Hood, and finally his marriage to Rowena. Classical-style oil paintings with eye-catching colors and composition romanticize the story and reflect the tone of the text. Illuminated letters and elegant drawings appear in the borders, making the pages reminiscent of medieval manuscripts. This title may be enjoyed as an accessible introduction to a great work of literature. - Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. This large-format book offers a series of brief, dramatic scenes smoothly knit together to retell Scott's classic. Though the large cast of sketchily drawn characters is not particularly memorable as presented here, young readers who enjoy stories set in medieval times may be intrigued by the tale of adventure and romance. Mayer concludes with an excellent note on Scott's life and his influence on her work. With a full-page or smaller picture appearing on each double-page spread, Rush's series of dramatic oil paintings will draw readers to this edition. The artist's figure drawing and composition, combined with a rich use of color, recall illustrators such as Howard Pyle and N. C. Wyeth. A handsome abridged edition. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
At the dawn of the Middle Ages, a gripping tale of chivalry and suspense emerges. Two distinguished knights -- one Saxon, one Norman -- have returned from the Crusades. Though they fought on the same side, they now have a score to settle. What begins as a joust between two rivals quickly escalates into clanwide mayhem and a fast-paced series of battles for revenge, honor, and love. Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe was one of the first great historical novels of western literature. At last, this extraordinary work has been brought to life as a lavishly illustrated storybook. Marianna Mayer's inspired adaptation combined with magnificent oil paintings by John Rush create an essential introduction to the classic. This exquisitely designed page-turning volume is perfect for anyone with a passion for adventure.


About the Author
Marianna Mayer has written many distinguished books for children, including The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Unicorn and the Lake, and Young Jesus of Nazareth. She lives in Connecticut. John Rush is an award-winning artist whose work has appeared in galleries, on book covers, and in major magazines. He lives in Illinois.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

At the dawn of the Middle Ages, a gripping tale of chivalry and suspense emerges. Two distinguished knights — one Saxon, one Norman — have returned from the Crusades. Though they fought on the same side, they now have a score to settle. What begins as a joust between two rivals quickly escalates into clanwide mayhem and a fast-paced series of battles for revenge, honor, and love.Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe was one of the first great historical novels of western literature. At last, this extraordinary work has been brought to life as a lavishly illustrated storybook. Marianna Mayer's inspired adaptation combined with magnificent oil paintings by John Rush create an essential introduction to the classic. This exquisitely designed page-turning volume is perfect for anyone with a passion for adventure.

Author Biography: Marianna Mayer has written many distinguished books for children, including The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Unicorn and the Lake, and Young Jesus of Nazareth. She lives in Connecticut. John Rush is an award-winning artist whose work has appeared in galleries, on book covers, and in major magazines. He lives in Illinois.

SYNOPSIS

Ivanhoe was the first of Scott's novels to take place in the middle ages but it is far from being the fantastic, medievalist romance associated (in the critical imagination) with a visionary Britain that never was. This is the first novel in English to deal seriously with issues of race. At the same time, it provides an exciting read to

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Claudia Mills, Ph.D.

While children's books of the past are filled with references to Ivanhoe (most notably, Edward Eager's Knight's Castle), few children today know even the bare outline of Sir Walter Scott's stirring story of chivalric adventure and passionate romance. Mayer, noted for many previous retellings of classic tales, takes on the admirable task of providing this here. But the picture/storybook format she has chosen, while making possible Rush's dramatic paintings of the story's central scenes, doesn't leave adequate space to provide much more than a bare outline of Scott's complex saga. The young reader is confronted with a long list of characters with unfamiliar names—Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, Sir Front-de-Boeuf, Sir De Bracy—who are described so briefly and thinly that it's difficult even for an adult reader to sort out who is who and which is which—Normans, Saxons, good guys, bad guys, friends of Ivanhoe, or foes. The tragic sorrow of Ivanhoe's love for both the beautiful Rebecca and the beautiful Rowena will likely be lost on Mayer's intended readers. While no age range is specified on the dust jacket, the book seems targeted toward middle-grade readers rather than picture-book readers, despite the picture-book format, but even middle-grade readers will gather little more than a hint of the reasons for the enduring popularity of Scott's thrilling tale. 2004, Chronicle Books, Ages 7 to 10.

AudioFile

Scott's 1819 swashbuckler about the Disinherited Knight in the time of Richard I can still provide some thrills, chills, laughs, and tears. Harper's abridgment shaves too much from the vivid characterizations, a fault that Brian Cox somewhat corrects with his narration. For some reason, his Isaac the Jew has an odd, vaguely Eastern European accent, and all his Normans have speech impediments. Cox declaims the narrative like a town crier. While this cheats us of the more exciting moments, it does add welcome clarity to the centuries-old language. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Walter Scott is out and away the king of the romantics. — Jonathan Lyons