The Fisherman's Son

by Mirra Ginsburg, Tony Chen (Illustrator)

A fisherman's son saves the lives of four animals who in turn help him accomplish the impossible tasks set him by the woman he wants to marry.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Mirra Ginsburg was a Jewish Russian-American translator of Russian literature, a collector of folk tales and a children's writer. Born in Bobruisk (then part of the Russian Empire, now part of modern-day Belarus) in 1909, she moved with her family to Latvia, then to Canada, before they settled in the United States. Although she won praise for her translations of adult literature, including the Master and Margarita (1967) by Mikhail Bulgakov and We (1972) by Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin, she is perhaps most celebrated for her contributions to children's literature. She collected and translated a vast array of folktales from the Russian tradition, as well as Siberian and Central Asian traditions. Ginsburg died in 2000.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fisherman's son is rewarded for his acts of kindness in this beautiful Georgian folktale, as the many animals he has saved help him to win the hand of a beautiful maiden. Sworn never to marry, unless to a man clever enough to hide from her magic mirror, the maiden at first seems unattainable. The fisherman's son is hidden in many extraordinary places by his animal friends, but all to no avail. Finally, the clever fox takes a hand...

The Fisherman's Son is a delightful book, both as a folk narrative and as a beautifully-illustrated picture book. Mirra Ginsburg is perhaps best known as a translator of Russian literature, and I have read and enjoyed her version of Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita . Here she demonstrates that she is also an accomplished storyteller. Tony Chen's gorgeous illustrations are the perfect complement to the story, with just the right blend of fantasy and restraint. The alternation between black & white line drawings and full-color panels, allows Chen to demonstrate his delicacy while also playing with a lush palette. Highly recommended, with only one caveat: I wish that Ginsburg had included some note as to her source material.

[Ellie Abrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a young man who is kind and compassionate toward all of the creatures he encounters. In return, these creatures give him a token each, that he many use to call for their assistance at any point in the future. This story expresses the importance of being kind and compassionate toward all things, thus would be appropriate in a classroom.

[Mathew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cumulative fairy-tale retold in the format of the grateful beasts felt like it could have been set anywhere and still read the same. I like Chen's illustrations which flit between thin ink-lined drawings and full-coloured double-page spreads and they help, a little more, conjure up a sense of Georgia with its mountainous peaks and broad, sweeping lowlands.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

I may have already read this one... But it won't hurt to read it again!

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suffers from print limitations where not all illustrations are full color. The black-and-white ones are such a disappointment.