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calistareads's review
4.0
I saw the movie that is based on this same time period and it’s very good. I spent the summer after 11th grade at Interlochen Arts Camp, one of the best of my life. Every year they put on a production of Gilbert & Sullivan and I was introduced to the Pirates of Penzance. I loved the music and the zaniness of it all. If I had known, I would have auditioned for the chorus. It would have been so fun. Since then, I have been a fan of these two. Ann Arbor has a Gilbert & Sullivan society and they put on a yearly production. I saw Iolanthe and loved that one too. It is too wonderful.
This book is about the time the two got into a Feud. They write separately and were very different people. One day, Sullivan is sick of the same old stories and he refuses to do any more writing until it’s a new story. Eventually, Gilbert sees a Japanese exhibit and he comes up with a new story for them to tell. It becomes one of their most popular operettas ever.
The book is drawn to be cartoonish and it works. I think the book is great and I love the story.
There were pirates and all kinds of characters and the nephew was trying to figure out what this was about. He did end up liking this. He thought these people were weird. He gave this 3 stars.
This book is about the time the two got into a Feud. They write separately and were very different people. One day, Sullivan is sick of the same old stories and he refuses to do any more writing until it’s a new story. Eventually, Gilbert sees a Japanese exhibit and he comes up with a new story for them to tell. It becomes one of their most popular operettas ever.
The book is drawn to be cartoonish and it works. I think the book is great and I love the story.
There were pirates and all kinds of characters and the nephew was trying to figure out what this was about. He did end up liking this. He thought these people were weird. He gave this 3 stars.
pinkrain718's review
2.0
A fun book to read aloud to discuss friendship or to introduce students to musical theater.
adubrow's review
5.0
A very vivid, colorful, and sweet take on the creation of the Mikado by Gilbert and Sulliva.
tashrow's review
4.0
A glimpse of Victorian England and the theatre is offered in this book. Through the lens of the Topsy-turvy kingdom, we meet the partners of Gilbert and Sullivan who collaborate on the operas. The trouble in the kingdom is that Gilbert wants to write the same story over and over again with different settings while Sullivan wants to create the music for something completely new and grand. The two men got in an enormous fight, with Sullivan declaring that he will no longer work with Gilbert. The two part ways and after some time, Gilbert is inspired to write an opera set in Japan which is completely different from anything he has written before. For this remarkable story, Sullivan created the best music of his life.
The tone of Winter’s writing is marvelously period at times, making sure that readers never lose sight of the time they are reading about. He inserts these at just the right place where they are not intrusive and improve the pacing of the book. Winter also gives each man a space of his own in the book, his own anger, his own frustration, his own creativity. This is enhanced by the illustrations which often show the two men in neighboring buildings so that even when collaborating they are separate. The illustrations are a nice mix of vintage and modern, just like the text. Filled with bright colors and thick lines, they are cartoony and inviting.
This picture book is a longer one, allowing readers to really get a sense of the two people and the time period. It is best read either with a small group of older children or given to a child with an interest in theater. Recommended for ages 6-9.
The tone of Winter’s writing is marvelously period at times, making sure that readers never lose sight of the time they are reading about. He inserts these at just the right place where they are not intrusive and improve the pacing of the book. Winter also gives each man a space of his own in the book, his own anger, his own frustration, his own creativity. This is enhanced by the illustrations which often show the two men in neighboring buildings so that even when collaborating they are separate. The illustrations are a nice mix of vintage and modern, just like the text. Filled with bright colors and thick lines, they are cartoony and inviting.
This picture book is a longer one, allowing readers to really get a sense of the two people and the time period. It is best read either with a small group of older children or given to a child with an interest in theater. Recommended for ages 6-9.
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