THE EMPEROR AND THE NIGHTINGALE
by Hans Christian Andersen & adapted by Fiona Waters & illustrated by Paul Birkbeck
Elaborate, richly detailed illustrations give this “Nightingale” a stately air; the Emperor’s porcelain palace is thick with ornaments and architectural frills, his gardens with solid masses of exotic flora, and most scenes are viewed through a bluish light that gives them a “willow plate” look. Other than dropping most of Andersen’s coy asides, Waters leaves the text more or less intact. It’s not the first picture book rendition of the tale—by a long shot—but it is one of the most handsome and readable ones. (Picture book. 9-12)