#926 of 1001 · February 13, 2023

Fairy Tale Theme Week is here once more, and I am pursuing a second week of Firebird books! First up, come bask in the gleam and glow of Brad Kessler and Robert Van Nutt’s adaptation. A young archer Ivan and his Horse of Power find a golden feather in the forest, dropped by the legendary Firebird. Against the horse’s dire warnings, Ivan brings it to his employer, the czar, who quickly commands him to capture the Firebird itself. When Ivan succeeds at that task, he is promptly sent to the Land of Never, where he is to retrieve the Princess Vasilisa to be the wicked ruler’s bride. In the end, Vasilisa calls for a vat of boiling water, which rejuvenates Ivan but puts a quick end to the czar. Kessler’s engaging text and Van Nutt’s smooth, stylized art bring a lively energy to the tale. Kessler’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