________________ CM . . . . Volume VI Number 4 . . . . October 15, 1999

cover Anabel Lee.

Edgar Allan Poe. Illustrated by Gilles Tibo.
Toronto, ON: Tundra Books (Distributed by McClelland and Stewart Inc.), 1998.
22 pp., paper, $7.99.
ISBN 0-88776-230-1.

Grades 5 and up / Ages 10 and up.
Review by Joan C. Simpson.

*** /4

excerpt:

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea
That a maiden there lived, whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee,
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
image Edgar Allan Poe's poem has been printed a few lines per page below a small miniature on the left side, facing a full page watercolour painting. Each of the miniatures highlights a portion or extends the boundaries of the large illustration. Tibo's choice of the Gaspe Peninsula is the perfect setting for this seaside poem - the fishing village, the soaring gulls, the looming cliffs. Through muted colours and subtle textures, Tibo has captured the haunting mood of the poem. Changing emotions from delight to horror to despair are clearly communicated through simple facial features and expressive body language. When the first edition of Annabel Lee illustrated by Tibo was published in 1988, it was named to the American Bookseller's "Pick of the List" and was a finalist for the Boston Globe Literary Press Competition. The book was redesigned for this edition to "fully realize the beauty of Tibo's exquisite painting". (Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain an early edition to compare with this one.) The artwork was accepted into the Illustrators Exhibit in Bologna, Italy. It is definitely the artwork that shines in this publication. While it could be enjoyed by very young readers, the language of the poem limits the audience. For example:
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee-
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

     Also although there is a strong message of great caring in this classic poem, there is also a disturbing emphasis on beauty and mindlessness in Annabel Lee.

Recommended with reservations.

Joan Simpson is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - October 15, 1999.

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