The Boy and the Spell

by Maurice Ravel, Colette, Pegi Deitz Shea

In this enchanting story based on the famous opera L’Enfant et les Sortileges ( The Child and the Spell ), stunning illustrations and playful language will captivate young children while also introducing them to classical music. When Thomas’ math problems give him trouble, he lets out a wild tantrum, ripping apart his favorite book, knocking over his clock, and overturning his tea and cake. But when he plops down into his favorite armchair, the chair decides it has had enough of the boy’s bad behavior. It blows Thomas into a strange place in time where Thomas comes face-to-face with the very objects he just broke.

Genres: Picture Books, Music

36 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1925

About the author

French composer known especially for his melodies, masterful orchestration, richly evocative harmonies and inventive instrumental textures and effects. Along with Claude Debussy, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. Much of his piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music is part of the standard concert repertoire.

Ravel's piano compositions, such as Jeux d'eau, Miroirs, Le tombeau de Couperin and Gaspard de la nuit, demand considerable virtuosity from the performer, and his mastery of orchestration is particularly evident in such works as Rapsodie espagnole, Daphnis et Chloé and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Ravel is best known for his orchestral work Boléro (1928), which he once described as "a piece for orchestra without music".

Reviews

[Amanda]

Going to have to listen to the opera now; didn't realize when I just saw the book on the shelf what I was grabbing. It was the illustrations that first caught my attention, simply unusual, gorgeous pictures. Wonder if Madam would enjoy this?

[Kay]

I think once we sit down to listen to Maurice Ravel's opera that this is based on, this story book will make more sense.