Moby Dick - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 2ADrummond has taken on a leviathan task. In a standard picture-book format, he sets out to describe and illustrate the world of 19th-century whaling expeditions for young readers and to introduce them to one of the most complex and profound novels in the English language. It is the latter part of his mission that proves daunting. The marvelous pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork ranges from small, detailed vignettes to sweeping seascapes, many of which sport dialogue balloons ("Call me Ishmael," "There she blows!" "Beware of the terrible tail!"). However, despite the action-packed narrative, there is no room for character development beyond the merest introduction of the players and no real sense that "the days and weeks and months rolled on, a thousand leagues of blue...," to say nothing of plumbing the depths of obsession and revenge. Youngsters may come away with a barebones skeleton of Melville's classic tale, but the meat, and indeed the heart, of the story remain unfathomable to this audience.ALuann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.