#793 of 1001 · October 2, 2022

When’s my next Fairy Tale Theme Week going to be, you ask? Right now—starting today, I’m featuring seven different versions of Aladdin! First up, The Tale of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, an adaptation by Eric A. Kimmel and Ju-Hong Chen. Kimmel’s text brings energy and warmth to the tale, and Chen’s illustrations shine with bright colors and swirling impasto. A note for folklore enthusiasts: Aladdin is perhaps the most famous story from the Middle Eastern folktale collection One Thousand and One Nights, which dates from around the eighth or the ninth century of the Common Era. However, as Kimmel explains in an Author’s Note, it’s authenticity remains in question. No known manuscripts of Aladdin exist before Antoine Galland’s translation of the collection into French. In 1709, Galland heard the tale in Paris from Syrian storyteller Antun Yusuf Hanna Diyab, whom he did not credit in his publication the following year. Before that, the narrative’s origins lie shrouded in mystery. #aladdin #magician #cave #ring #lamp #princess #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks