Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Floris Books (2012), 32 pages
Description
Rosalind loves to play with her little deer in the shade of the lime tree. Then one day a hunter comes along with his dog and frightens the deer away. The poor little deer is captured by a king and kept in a golden cage, but it refuses to eat. People come from far and wide bringing delicious food for the king's prized pet, but still the deer won't eat. Then the hunter and his dog pass by and send a message back to Rosalind. Can Rosalind persuade the mighty king to part with his pet and set the little deer free once more? This classic Elsa Beskow tale is published now for the first time in English. With its traditional fairy-tale charm and beautifully detailed illustrations, this is Elsa Beskow at her best.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Originally published in 1924 as Sagan om den lilla hinden ("The Story of the Little Hind"), this sweet little picture-book presents a story within a story, as a little girl and her artist grandfather sit down to create a fairy-tale of their own, coming up with this original saga of Rosalind and her
Although I think Rosalind and the Little Deer may be the weakest story I have yet read from celebrated Swedish children's author and artist Elsa Beskow - it cannot be an accident that it has only recently been translated into English - I enjoyed it all the same, primarily for the lovely artwork, and for the depiction of a young girl's flight of fancy. Beskow depicts Rosalind as a visual counterpart to the young girl in the framing device at the beginning - the little girl who is, together with her grandfather, creating the story - and I think we are meant to understand that she represents the little girl, who has imagined herself into a fairy-tale adventure. Thus the story, although a little weak as a fairy-tale, has added appeal as a depiction of a young girl's imaginative world. The visuals, as one would expect from Beskow, are beautiful, with a particularly adept use of color, and charming human characters. Recommended to all Elsa Beskow fans, as well as to young readers who dream of starring in their own fairy-tale.
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cervine companion. When Rosalind's deer is frightened away by a hunter, the little girl is distraught, and the repentant hunter vows to track down her companion. This proves more complicated that at first expected, as the deer has been captured and imprisoned by a nearby king. After both spending some time in the king's dungeon, due to their efforts to free the deer, the hunter and Rosalind (together with the deer) escape to the peace of the woods...Although I think Rosalind and the Little Deer may be the weakest story I have yet read from celebrated Swedish children's author and artist Elsa Beskow - it cannot be an accident that it has only recently been translated into English - I enjoyed it all the same, primarily for the lovely artwork, and for the depiction of a young girl's flight of fancy. Beskow depicts Rosalind as a visual counterpart to the young girl in the framing device at the beginning - the little girl who is, together with her grandfather, creating the story - and I think we are meant to understand that she represents the little girl, who has imagined herself into a fairy-tale adventure. Thus the story, although a little weak as a fairy-tale, has added appeal as a depiction of a young girl's imaginative world. The visuals, as one would expect from Beskow, are beautiful, with a particularly adept use of color, and charming human characters. Recommended to all Elsa Beskow fans, as well as to young readers who dream of starring in their own fairy-tale.
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Language
Original language
Swedish
Original publication date
1924
Physical description
10.5 x 8.6 inches
ISBN
9780863157943