#383 of 1001 · August 18, 2021

We’ve landed in the middle of Firebird Week, and here we find something a bit different from the three versions I’ve analyzed thus far: The Firebird, a dazzling book written and illustrated by Demi. An archer named Dimitri who hunts in service to the Tsar finds a golden feather in the forest. Despite the warnings of his steed, a marvelous Horse of Power, he picks it up and brings it to the palace. The Tsar, enticed by the beautiful feather, commands Dimitri to bring him the bird from which it fell—the mythical Firebird itself. So begins a series of trials that the young archer must complete in order to ward off the wrath of the Tsar and save his own life. Demi’s lovely art, executed with a combination of traditional Chinese paints, inks, and brushes and modern watercolors, shimmers on the page, lending her spirited retelling a vivid glow. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Demi’s source is “The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa”, a tale collected by Aleksandr Afanas’ev in Narodnye Russkie Skazki. #firebird #horse #princess #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