#381 of 1001 · August 16, 2021

The second entry in Firebird Week, Prince Ivan and the Firebird, is retold and illustrated by László Gál, whose eloquent prose and brightly colored drawings make for a compelling adaptation. A note for folklore enthusiasts: this retelling is based on “Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf”, a tale collected by Aleksandr Afanas’ev in Narodnye Russkie Skazki. Gál hews closely to his source material, including the episodes in which the gray wolf transforms himself into first Princess Elena the Fair and later the horse with the golden mane in order to deceive the tsars that wish to possess them. However, here Tsarevich Ivan receives a motivation for the second ploy—the tsar who owns the Firebird has been collecting the golden apples for himself. #firebird #prince #wolf #russia #russian #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks