Aesop’s Fables
retold by Fiona Waters, ill. Fulvio Testa
Andersen Press
ISBN: 978 0 84939 049 1
Audience: 5 – 10 years
Aesop’s famous fables have a long tradition of interpretation by many illustrators, ranging in style from Michael Hague to Eric Carle. No great surprise, as they offer such rich material, that another children’s illustrator has taken his turn at bringing them to life for kids.
Testa is known for The Long Trip From A to Z, as well as for illustrating Anthony Burgess titles for adults. His style combines simple drawings with lovely watery effect on sweeps of sea and sky. His colours are warm, and when he turns to detail, it is beautifully executed, in contrast to the nearly cartoonish effect of his animals. He has thoroughly illustrated this volume, which is printed with gorgeous colour throughout. The effect is one that is not so precious as to be lost on children, but interesting and rich enough to satisfy the adult reader.
Sometimes, when a well-known illustrator takes on a classic, the text comes as secondary – not so, here. Fiona Waters has well-earned her name in children’s lit, and these tellings follow tradition nicely in keeping the stories short and sweet, at one page or less each.What I love most about the fables here are that she has used many that are lesser-known, as well as the most familiar. In all, this lovely edition packs a whopping sixty fables – enough to keep even the most avid fable lover occupied for a while.