NA

Very enjoyable story with illustrations perfect for a Russian tale. ( )

Handsome, wealthy, and wise, King Douda was the ruler of a powerful kingdom. But he was not happy, for he could not find a princess who was his equal in beauty and virtue - a princess worthy of being his queen... But then one day, riding out with his hunt, Douda happened upon the Seven Simeons, simple peasant brothers with extraordinary gifts.

This retelling of a Russian folktale, in which seven peasants help their king to gain the hand of a beautiful princess, was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1938. Boris Artzybasheff's delicate line drawings, in red, black, green and gold ink, are simply delightful. It is a shame that this lovely picture book is out of print. ( )

Genre: I would list this book as a fairytale/folktale, because it it set in Russia, with Russian names and structures of the kingdoms. The plot line has a struggle between the king and the seven peasants, and it is all in the name of the princess, whom the king wants to wed for himself. Everything flows smoothly and there is an immediate resolution to the conquest. The only antagonists in the story are the weather and different circumstances that put themselves against the different peasants (the Simeons).

The media is listed in the beginning of the book to be lithographed in the United States, and it is printed in red and black and sometimes goldenrod ink, and the pages are full of large very detailed prints. There are many faces of the people and many lines to show detail - it is very well done. ( )

The illustrations have exquisite detail, and are quite beautiful. The tale is of a king who is so handsome that he cannot find a wife beautiful enough to suit him, until seven brothers named Simeon come to his aid.