menu
cover image Heidi

Heidi

Johanna Spyri, Loretta Krupinski. Hyperion Books for Children, $14.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-06-023438-6

This truncated retelling of orphan Heidi's simple life in the Swiss Alps and her sojourn in the big city seems almost as indebted to the Shirley Temple film as to Johanna Spyri's 1880 novel. Krupinski's (A New England Scrapbook) heroine mimics Temple, curls, button nose and all, though she lacks the actress's expressive smile and gestures. Similarly blank-faced characters contrast with Krupinski's serene, lushly idealized landscape paintings: the people seem like wax dolls, but the glowing blankets of flowers make the Alps heaven on earth. The text emphasizes the sensual joys of fresh goat's milk, fir trees ""with their piney scent,"" Heidi's sweet-smelling bed in her grandfather's hay loft, etc., but that is its only demonstrable strength. Both Heidi's relationship with her grandfather and the idealized subplot about wheelchair-bound Klara's learning to walk are woodenly described; little space is given to dialogue and even less to Heidi's emotions. The plot, too, is severely condensed: ""Many more good things happened after that day."" The book succeeds as a portrayal of the joys of mountain life, but otherwise fails to do justice to Spyri's story of a girl's courage and persistence. Ages 5-9. (Sept.)
close
Details

Reviewed on: 09/02/1996

Genre: Children's

Compact Disc - 1 pages - 978-1-4084-0066-1

Compact Disc - 1 pages - 978-1-4084-0066-1

Hardcover - 32 pages - 978-0-7358-2227-6

Hardcover - 336 pages - 978-1-340-63493-3

Hardcover - 220 pages - 978-1-161-43417-0

Hardcover - 228 pages - 978-1-4043-0670-7

Hardcover - 220 pages - 978-1-169-29224-6

Hardcover - 336 pages - 978-0-14-751402-8

Hardcover - 372 pages - 978-1-117-58977-0

Hardcover - 274 pages - 978-1-341-88500-6

Hardcover - 372 pages - 978-1-117-58977-0

Hardcover - 228 pages - 978-1-4043-0670-7

Hardcover - 220 pages - 978-1-169-29224-6

Hardcover - 272 pages - 978-1-4027-2601-9

Hardcover - 220 pages - 978-1-161-43417-0

Hardcover - 262 pages - 978-1-298-87442-9

Hardcover - 274 pages - 978-1-341-88500-6

Hardcover - 178 pages - 978-1-7317-0690-4

Hardcover - 328 pages - 978-1-4549-4825-4

Hardcover - 96 pages - 978-1-5362-1422-2

Hardcover - 176 pages - 978-84-17430-10-8

Hardcover - 172 pages - 978-1-5287-7005-7

Hardcover - 272 pages - 978-0-7531-7459-3

Hardcover - 349 pages - 978-0-517-18967-2

Hardcover - 24 pages - 978-0-307-60407-1

Hardcover - 978-0-448-14941-7

Hardcover - 262 pages - 978-0-460-05013-5

Library Binding - 112 pages - 978-1-61641-613-3

Library Binding - 112 pages - 978-1-61641-613-3

MP3 CD - 978-1-5366-2607-0

Mass Market Paperbound - 978-0-88301-752-4

Open Ebook - 978-1-4209-0906-7

Open Ebook - 978-1-4192-2315-0

Open Ebook - 978-1-55443-228-8

Paperback - 304 pages - 978-0-689-83962-7

Paperback - 336 pages - 978-1-146-39016-3

Paperback - 184 pages - 978-1-5002-1608-5

Paperback - 220 pages - 978-1-162-66552-8

Paperback - 164 pages - 978-1-61382-027-8

Paperback - 320 pages - 978-0-14-132256-8

Paperback - 372 pages - 978-1-117-58978-7

Paperback - 164 pages - 978-1-4948-4023-5

Paperback - 156 pages - 978-1-4839-3008-4

Paperback - 184 pages - 978-1-5002-1608-5

Paperback - 372 pages - 978-1-117-58978-7

Paperback - 220 pages - 978-1-162-66552-8

Paperback - 198 pages - 978-1-61382-126-8

Paperback - 184 pages - 978-1-60459-035-7

Paperback - 168 pages - 978-1-4385-0924-2

Paperback - 320 pages - 978-0-14-132256-8

Paperback - 336 pages - 978-1-146-39016-3

Paperback - 164 pages - 978-1-61382-027-8

Paperback - 204 pages - 978-1-61242-853-6

Paperback - 98 pages - 978-1-5121-3233-5

Paperback - 118 pages - 978-1-5025-2395-2

Paperback - 134 pages - 978-1-5054-6696-6

Paperback - 470 pages - 978-1-5152-9173-2

Paperback - 178 pages - 978-1-61382-387-3

Paperback - 170 pages - 978-87-26-17344-4

Paperback - 258 pages - 978-93-90697-57-1

Paperback - 978-0-00-851434-1

Paperback - 266 pages - 978-93-5275-575-2

Paperback - 294 pages - 978-93-80816-78-4

Paperback - 184 pages - 978-93-5517-117-7

Paperback - 242 pages - 978-93-5499-416-6

Paperback - 178 pages - 978-1-7317-0691-1

Paperback - 204 pages - 978-1-4209-6135-5

Paperback - 340 pages - 978-1-5454-5566-1

Paperback - 288 pages - 978-93-86348-79-1

Paperback - 272 pages - 978-0-593-20316-3

Paperback - 230 pages - 978-93-88318-62-4

Paperback - 296 pages - 978-1-4549-4566-6

Paperback - 170 pages - 978-93-91560-44-7

Paperback - 172 pages - 978-1-5287-1846-2

Paperback - 146 pages - 978-93-86063-32-8

Paperback - 160 pages - 978-93-5436-601-7

Paperback - 140 pages - 978-1-4209-2256-1

Peanut Press/Palm Reader - 978-1-4142-1272-2

Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-59895-683-2

Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-59895-683-2