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54th out of 200 books
—
23 voters
The Old Country
From the winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal comes a memorable new work, a novel of singular insight and imagination that transports readers to the Old Country, where "all the fairy tales come from, where there was magic -- and there was war." There, Gisella stares a moment too long into the eyes of a fox, and she and the fox exchange shapes. Gisella's quest to get her girl...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
September 5th 2006
by Roaring Brook Press
(first published 2005)
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Jun 08, 2008
Lucy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
rena p ginsbery ray, this one's for you
Shelves:
kidlit,
fairytales
Gisella's family lives in the war-torn Old Country. They are simple farmers living simple lives, until her brother is conscripted into the army, and a fox steals some of their chickens. Determined to fix the little she can, Gisella promises to hunt down and kill the theiving fox. And before she goes, her Great-Aunt Tanteh warns her, "never look too long in the eyes of a fox." And so Gisella enters the woods, in which not everything is what it seems and she can understand the speech of the animal...more
Evocative story about the "Old Country" and how magic became relegated to the realm of story. Has the feel of a fairy tale from Eastern Europe.
more here
more here
Jan 01, 2012
Karin
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
foxes,
folklore,
fairytale,
body-swapping,
juvenile-fiction,
fantasy,
borrowed-from-the-library
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book was recommended as a read-alike for Graceling, of all things, and I couldn't disagree with that recommendation more. Graceling's appeal lies primarily with its action-packed plot and strong, compelling, sympathetic main character. The Old Country, on the other hand, is modeled from traditional fairy tales and uses those tales to explore the issues of family, humanity, and warfare. It's an elegant little story, in its own way, but fans of Graceling should not read it looking for more of...more
I'm too lazy to try and describe this book. The book was ok...the audio recording was fairly entertaining. I liked the description in the following review:
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–The bulk of this tale takes place in the pseudo-mythical Old Country. At the present time, Great Grandmother Gisella tells her disbelieving young relative the story about how she had been both a girl and a fox. The complicated telling begins, intermingling rather gruesome civil war images, animal tales, Al...more
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–The bulk of this tale takes place in the pseudo-mythical Old Country. At the present time, Great Grandmother Gisella tells her disbelieving young relative the story about how she had been both a girl and a fox. The complicated telling begins, intermingling rather gruesome civil war images, animal tales, Al...more
This book had such great potential and easily could have been fantastic. However, it totally failed to do so. Instead of giving it 1 star, I gave it 2, because of the interesting idea of two characters switching bodies.
That was the only thing that held my interest.
That was the only thing that held my interest.
Full review here:
http://landismom.wordpress.com/2005/1...
http://landismom.wordpress.com/2005/1...
The idea behind the novella is far more interesting than the execution of it. Perhaps if it had been allowed to ferment and develop, the writing itself would have been better. The book simply did not keep my interest, though I kept hoping that it would. There are elements of other texts that trickle in - a few (likely subconscious) allusions to Charlotte's Web and The Chronicles of Narnia, but they fail to be as effective as the original classics. It is worth it to get your hands on this book ju...more
It was years ago that I read this book, but one thing that this book planted inside of me was the incredible/fearful feeling of the sounds of distant warfare. I've never really known why the thunders of explosions, cannon fire and the pops of gun fire from a deep distance has fascinated me so much, but the feeling in the thoughts of them make me think so deeply it's difficult to get out of the memorizing trance of my imagination.
This book is great for if you want an interesting, original fairy-...more
This book is great for if you want an interesting, original fairy-...more
This is a great quick read for young and old alike. It is reminiscent of folk tales passed from generation to generation. The writing style is loose, and doesn't get boggled down with too many details, like any storytelling. The story revolves around a little girl who gets tricked into trading places with a fox, it just so happens that war is waging all around them, and in the process she must rescue her family as well as regain her original form. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys folk...more
The description of this book sounded so appealing--a young girl stares into a fox's eyes too long and they switch places that I had to give it a read. And while Gerstein creates a fantastic modern fairytale, one that explains where other tales came from, and a surprise ending where all of the characters make decisions that drastically change their live...I found myself disappointed in the overall book.
Perhaps I was expecting too much for this short tale, but I was just looking for a bit more tha...more
Perhaps I was expecting too much for this short tale, but I was just looking for a bit more tha...more
I read THE OLD COUNTRY on the recommendation of one of my students. I have to admit it's an original story and I quite liked the ending. I won't spoil it here, but suffice it to say I liked how the ending wasn't nice and sweet.
The story begins with the Great-Grandmother Gisella arriving for a visit and gifting the narrator with her violin. She then proceeds to tell a story of her life in the old country, how she escaped from the war there and how she used to be a fox. The rest of the book is Gis...more
The story begins with the Great-Grandmother Gisella arriving for a visit and gifting the narrator with her violin. She then proceeds to tell a story of her life in the old country, how she escaped from the war there and how she used to be a fox. The rest of the book is Gis...more
The Old Country is an interesting fairy tale style parable - a story about a young girl named Gisella who involuntarily swaps bodies with a crafty fox named Flame. Gisella’s quest to find her family and reclaim her girl-body reminded very much of other classic children’s literature quests – namely The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan- each featuring a protagonist navigating fantastical, unfamiliar, and sometimes dangerous territory. And, like those, The Old...more
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The combination of folkloric tradition with the themes of persecution reminiscent of WWII, this book is rich with characterizations, literary motifs, and ideas about the importance of the body.
The frame narrative of this novel allows the fantastic elements of this novel to feel more realistic since it is told almost as a folk tale. The characters and the premise are well-developed and and well-written.
I highly recommend this book!
The frame narrative of this novel allows the fantastic elements of this novel to feel more realistic since it is told almost as a folk tale. The characters and the premise are well-developed and and well-written.
I highly recommend this book!
This was a creative book that was a little bit magical and a little bit mysterious. It deals with some of the harsh realities of war through a kind of fairy tale. There were a few scenes I wouldn't want to read to my children, one character has to sleep under a man killed by hanging and gather the dew off his body! But it is a short, well done story.
This was an unusual fairy tale style story that read a great deal like a real fairy tale. It was a very quick read and it seemed very allegorical rather than realistic. At the same time it was dark, dealing with genocide, among other disturbing themes. I enjoyed the many animals included in the tale. I think my biggest criticism is the way many events were glossed over extremely swiftly. This goes along with the allegorical feeling of the story. However, it seemed a bit rushed in places and I fe...more
The Old Country – a story of war between the great nations of Surland and Norland, the oppression of the people called the Crags, the adventures of a fox named Flame and a girl named Gisella, the court of law headed by a white spider with a jury of birds, a dancing bear, a crystal palace, a golden egg – is just an ordinary fantasy childrens’ novel.
The idea promised a lot but I feel that the author could have explored the relationship between the girl and the fox more.
I really liked the animal trials and the way the magical and woodland creatures interplayed, but ultimately the middle part concerning the war dragged and didn't really add a great deal.
I really liked the animal trials and the way the magical and woodland creatures interplayed, but ultimately the middle part concerning the war dragged and didn't really add a great deal.
Part allegory, part traditional fairy tale - altogether lovely and sad and full of mystery.
A young girl asks her aged great grandmother about the place she always calls "The Old country" and is treated to a story about animal transformations, magic, ecological disaster and justice.
A young girl asks her aged great grandmother about the place she always calls "The Old country" and is treated to a story about animal transformations, magic, ecological disaster and justice.
Recommended by a teen patron, it was hard for me to get into this story. It defintely has a different "flavor" than more teen lit I have been reading and was quaint in its own way, but I felt it was perhaps a little too young and simplistic for what i was craving at the time.
Nice take on creation of fairy tales and the loss of magic. I wasn't always fond of the narrators voice and writing style, but it does tie into the 'old country' feel. The story while complete did not feel whole, it could have been expanded, it felt a bit brief in the conclusion.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was such a wonderful fairy tale. It was dark, hilarious, and timeless. I could hear the political undertones, yet the fantasy overtones kept the story light enough. It's a pretty dark story, but I really enjoyed reading this.
Completely unexpected ending which is what I most crave in a book. Wonderful use of fairy tales in an unexpected way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
One of those amazing books that just has this indescribable something. A certain air, or feeling. Enjoyed by myself, the 7 year old and the 11 year old that listened in for only part of it.
Buena explicacion sobre lo que esta bien y lo que esta mal según la naturaleza de cada uno.
Nunca mirare a los zorros a los ojos por mucho tiempo.
Nunca mirare a los zorros a los ojos por mucho tiempo.
I had really high expectations for this one and was a little disappointed. I did like the ending though which earned it three stars.
When I first started reading this book I decided that I did not like it, but I kept at it and then all of the sudden it sucked it in! It is a very interesting story about love of family and culture and about learning and self-sacrifice. Very interesting book with lost of odd twists and turns, but great to read and listen to.
Fiction - excellent booklegger book for 4th & 5th graders...
a Wonderful tale of war and the view points of different beings.
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Mordicai Gerstein is the author and illustrator of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, winner of the Caldecott Medal, and has had four books named New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. Gerstein was born in Los Angeles in 1935. He remembers being inspired as a child by images of fine art, which his mother cut out of Life magazine, and by children’s books from the library: “I looked...more
More about Mordicai Gerstein...
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May 10, 2009 09:28am