November 1, 2002
Newly abridged by Timothy Meis, James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans comes to life under the paintbrush of N.C. Wyeth, with illustrations originally published in 1919. The artist offers readers a close-up view of the French and Indian War, in paintings such as British colonel Duncan's struggle against a Huron warrior or the Mohican Chingachgook similarly fighting off another Huron warrior in the clearing of a wood. Wyeth's paintings also accompany Meis's adaptation of Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe, due out in February.
July 1, 2008
These adaptations straightforwardly delineate plot points but sacrifice atmosphere, language, and uniqueness. The resulting retellings are stiff and, in the case of already child-friendly fare like Pinocchio, somewhat superfluous. Spot illustrations are more page-filler than enhancement. Discussion questions and an afterword are appended to each story.
(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)