The Crimson Elf: Italian Tales of Wisdom

by Michael J. Caduto, Tom Sarmo (Illustrations)

Lively Italian folk stories provide entertaining and gentle lessons for readers young and old.

Genres: Childrens

64 pages, Hardcover

First published February 18, 1997

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes a collecton of six short stories, 'Italian Tales of Wisdom.' The stories impart a lesson about growing up and learning from life's experiences.

There are just a couple of black and white illustrations per story and some of the stories are a bit long, so I would recommend this book for older children.

I enoyed reading the Introduction, Author's note and information regarding the source material for the tales. These sections really give a sense of the Italian storytelling tradition.

We took our time reading this book, reading only one story on any given night. Overall, the tales are engaging and entertaining; we enjoyed reading the book together.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad to have found something different and I must say that I really loved these stories of wisdom. This is a fast but very fun read. First of all, I love stories about Magic Man, the infamous archetype found in most cultures about the magical man that castigates people for their good deeds and therefore I would have to say that 'The Land of Eternal Life' is my favorite story. Although, to be fair, I must add that the moral of that story is about leaving a legacy instead of loafing around and squandering all the time in the world living frivolously. I also love 'Books of Wisdom' with a semi Magic Woman figure that teaches people that a price cannot be put to the value of Knowledge and Wisdom. The Golden Stone shows the unfairness of feudal life so that people may appreciate equality and freedom. The Crimson Elf is a creepy story about an elf that leads a young girl astray and keeps her in an illusion of fantastical fun while he has nefarious plans for her. I can see how parents would use these stories as an instrument to teach tender children a moral lesson or about cruelty of the world through fantasy instead of reality.