Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales

While out window shopping with a friend last weekend, we wandered into the local Anthropologie where I enjoyed browsing the books, adding some titles to my "eventually acquire or at least read" list. One of the offerings was Just Being Audrey, a new picture book by Margaret Cardillo about Audrey Hepburn. It was a charming book and not expected.  The audience is more adult than child for this one, but it is a great way to introduce Audrey to a new generation.

Then I remembered that Audrey made her own contribution to fairy tales--no, not her life and style as a modern fairy tale--but with one of her final projects before her death, Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales.  I'll admit I don't own it--although I ordered a copy this week and am awaiting it--but it is a recording of Audrey reading fairy tales with a frame story using Ravel's Mother Goose and his own personality as a teller. I listened to a sample and decided I had to hear it all despite my preference to reading over listening. I am an unabashed Audrey fan, having had her poster on my wall in college when it wasn't a cool thing to do along with a poster of Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger dancing. Yes, I love classic movies.

 

Anyway, the recording received a Grammy for Audrey posthumously. Her voice is the usual Audrey voice with the charming intonations. It reminded me of her voiceovers for Sabrina but a little more intimate.

Here's a description from the current publisher:

Audrey Hepburn’s narration brings to life four entertaining fairy tales for children and adults alike. Included here are “The Sleeping Princess,” “Tom Thumb,” “Laideronette, Empress of the Pagodas,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” charming stories that demonstrate the power of unselfish devotion and courage and the triumph of true love.

This GRAMMY® Award-winning performance by the late film legend features not only sound effects and music from Maurice Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite” spread liberally throughout the hour but also a background story of the composer telling these stories to two young children, as remembered by one child when she was an elderly lady, all delivered in Audrey Hepburn's unique and cultured style.

REVIEW

“Her performance, although intended for children, is that of an adult performing for adults. There are no exaggerated intonations or characterizations. What we hear is what one would expect from Hepburn: a dignified performance that is dainty with precise enunciation and fitting inflections. The music is…a nice complement to her fine voice.”—AudioFile

So does anyone else own this or have fond memories of it? It's almost 20 years old now. That it is still in print attests to its popularity with some portion of the population. I couldn't find a full track list and some editions are abridged but when mine arrives I will post the list if I see an interest for it. I do appreciate that not all the tales are the usual, to be expected ones, such as "Laideronette, Empress of the Pagodas."

Off topic: Another book added to my list was How to Behave and Why by Munro Leaf.  What a charming book that asks: "Are Most of the People I Know Glad That I Am Here?" I must add it to my library, too.

Alas, there wasn't a fairy tale related book on the premises, but I wonder if that will change as Hollywood deluges us with all of these retellings in the next few years.

South Side — Charmy

Chamry Stills In Mangala Movie. More images after the break...

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Drew Barrymore Photoshoot

Drew Barrymore  Matthew Rolston, InStyle Magazine , Patrick Demarchelier Photoshoot, 08 more images after the break...

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12 Facts about China

01. China’s economy grew 7 times as fast as America’s over the past decade (316% growth vs. 43%)

11 More Facts about China after the break...

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23 years later

23 years later, More images after the break...

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Map of the World Fair

That would look like a world map if the area for each country is distributed according to population. This should be carried one condition: the whole country habitable. See the picture in full size.

Cendrillon at McDonalds

I haven't featured any advertisements in a while and discovered this one at Ads of the World this week. I admit it made me smile when I first saw it. The "Come As You Are" campaign must be working well for them in France since I remember seeing it two years ago when I was there. Not this ad, of course, but the same tagline. Wonder if Cendrillon ordered any of the little bags of cherry tomatoes I kept picking up when we would stop for drinks.  I was always desperate for fresh fruit and veggies while traveling despite the many trips into little groceries for oranges and such. I still can't look at a baguette without flinching either since it constitutes most "fast" food in France, excepting the wonderful crepes in Paris, of course, of which I never tire. But southern France required daily baguette eating if we were to visit all the many sites during the day.

Credits for ad:

Advertising Agency: BETC Euro RSCG, France

Agency Management: Christophe Defaye, Eugénie Lefebvre

Global Creative Director: Stéphane Xiberrasjean-Michel

Creative Director: Stéphane Xiberras

Art Director: Jean-Michel Alirol

Assistant art director: Pierre Boutin

Copywriter: Dominique Marchand

Strategic Planning: Clarisse Lacarrau

Photographer: Vincent Dixon

Art Buyer: Stéphanie Giordano

Published: August 2010

Little Red Riding Hood illustrated by Daniel Egneus

Little Red Riding Hood illustrated by Daniel Egneus will be released on January 25th. This is another tie-in with the upcoming movie release, but not as closely related to the film itself, more of a mutually beneficial release promotion. The book uses the Grimms' version of the tale, not the film version.  The imagery is loose and beautiful, see below for examples.

Book description from the publisher:

Here are “Little Red” and “the Wolf” as you’ve never seen them before – stunningly reinterpreted by internationally renowned artist Daniel Egnéus. One of the most oft-told fairytales of all time, Little Red Riding Hood is an adventure story, a coming of age story, a cautionary tale – and it’s soon to be a major Hollywood motion picture produced by Leonardo diCaprio, directed by Catherine Hardwicke of the Twilight films fame, and starring Amanda Seyfried from Big Love, Mamma Mia! and Letters to Juliet, along with Julie Christie and Gary Oldman. Daniel Egnéus’s elegant, romantic, and hypnotic illustrations carry a new generation breathlessly into the deep, dark woods for a haunting, unforgettable experience unparalleled by anything else in the waking world.

Here are some images from the book courtesy of the publisher's website:

Finally, here's a video about the making of the book.  You can also learn more about him on his website which mostly offers a collection of images from his other projects, not this one currently.

Even More About Red Riding Hood Film: Books

There are one newly released book and one upcoming book related to the upcoming Red Riding Hood film due out on March 11. All of the publication tie-ins makes me think the studios are hoping for a big hit. Here they are:

First we have Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright and David Leslie Johnson which is already available for purchase.

Book description from the publisher, specifically the ebook edition:

The body of a young girl is discovered in a field of wheat. Her flesh mutilated by telltale claw marks. The Wolf has broken the peace.

When Valerie learns that her sister has been killed by the legendary creature, she finds herself at the center of a dark mystery, one that has plagued her village for generations. It is revealed that the werewolf lives among them, and everyone in the village immediately becomes a suspect. Could her secret love Peter be behind the attacks on her town? Is it her betrothed, Henry? Or someone even closer to her?

As the men in the village hunt for the beast, Valerie turns to her grandmother for help. She gives Valerie a handmade red riding cloak, and guides her through the web of lies and deception that has held her town together for so long. Will Valerie discover the werewolf's identity before the town is ripped apart?

This is a dangerous new vision of a classic fairy tale, the happy ending could be hard to find.

This spectacular Enhanced eBook Edition is packed with exclusive behind-the-scenes content from the film, including:

Video of Catherine Hardwicke, Sarah Blakley-Cartwright, and David Leslie Johnson discussing their creative partnership
Video of Sarah Blakley-Cartwright explaining her writing process
Animated short video showcasing the Scribe's Book
Audio of Catherine Hardwicke reading her introduction
Audio discussion about the set design and architecture
Audio discussion of paintings featured in the film
Audio discussion of the film's historical research and props
Storyboards from some of the film's action sequences
Images of the visual effects from the film
Blueprints, photos, and sketches of the set
Sketches of the costume design with designer comments

We also have Red Riding Hood: from Script to Screen by Catherine Hardwicke which hasn't been released yet.

Book description from the publisher:

From Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke comes the romantic fantasy thriller Red Riding Hood. Torn between two men, the beautiful young Valerie is about to choose her heart’s desire when her sister is murdered by a werewolf. Panicked, the people call on famed werewolf hunter Father Solomon, who warns that the werewolf could be among them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to fear that the werewolf could be someone she loves. But her fear is tinged with curiosity when she discovers her unique connection to the beast—one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect . . . and bait.

Red Riding Hood stars Amanda Seyfried (Letters to Juliet, Mamma Mia!), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, the Harry Potter films), Billy Burke (the Twilight films), Shiloh Fernandez (Skateland, TV’s Jericho), Max Irons (Dorian Gray), Oscar®-nominee Virginia Madsen (Sideways), and two-time Oscar®-winner Julie Christie (Away from Her, Darling).

Includes
- Introduction, notes, and sketches by director Catherine Hardwicke
- Screenplay written by David Leslie Johnson
- 96 pages of color concept art, storyboards, and costume evolution and illustrations
- Behind-the-scenes photographs

More About Red Riding Hood Film: Images and Trailer

Several recent items for the upcoming Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Catherine Hardwicke. I'm breaking this into two posts actually for different media.

New images released from the film:

New and old posters:

Old and new posters:

Most recent trailer:



The release date is March 11th, 2011 in the US. More about the related books in the next post...

Charlize Theron as Evil Queen in 'Snow White and the Huntsman'

From Charlize Theron as Evil Queen in 'Snow White' by Kristine Gasbarre:

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron isn't afraid to take risks in her career, and she's just passed up a Martin Scorsese drama to play an evil queen. Here are details on Charlize's new role.

Word's been orbiting since December that Charlize Theron was in talks to star in the timeless fairytale "Snow White," and Tuesday the buzz was confirmed: she's signed on to play the Evil Queen in "Snow White and the Huntsman." Early rumors suggested Charlize, 35, was actually considering the role of Snow White herself, but apparently execs want a more unknown actress to take that part (Elvis Presley's granddaughter, Riley Keough, is currently rumored for it). With her "Monster" experience, her maturity and her ability to portray both beauty and threat, casting directors through Charlize would be more fitting as the Evil Queen.

It's a critical role in the story, as this version -- which was fast-tracked by Universal in October and is currently scheduled to hit theaters in Dec. 2012 -- tells how Snow White teams with the man who tried to murder her so she can fight the Evil Queen.

Well, this one gets closer and closer to becoming a reality, too...

Counting Fairy Tales: 1-2-3: A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay

1-2-3: A Child's First Counting Book by Alison Jay, as author and illustrator, is a book that escaped my notice until my friend Valerie shared it with me this week. She has been enjoying it with her two-year-old son.  It is a counting book that uses fairy tale characters and tales to provide the counting fodder.

Book description from the publisher:

One little girl wakes up to a wondrous fairy-tale world. She spies two dancing feet from the Golden Goose tale, three hungry bears just visited by Goldilocks, and four royal mattresses between the Princess and the Pea. Simple in format, with many objects to count on each colorful page, 1 2 3 is just right for children learning their numbers 1 through 10. As in her ABC and Picture This . . . , acclaimed as "beautiful," "inventive," and "marvelous," Alison Jay captivates with this clever work of art, treating readers of all ages to visual surprises, scenes from ten favorite fairy tales, and witty stories-within-stories.

It was published in 2007 and received favorable reviews from the major review sources, too. 

The copyright page provides a key to the fairy tales that appear in the book.  Here's an image below:

A review from Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review. In a sumptuous companion to her A B C, Jay takes readers on an enchanted journey from 1 to 10 and back again, with help from fairy tale figures. A quartet of self-satisfied frog princes impressively embody the number 4, while a plate of gingerbread men—including one poised for escape—represent the number 6. (Other counting opportunities abound in the backgrounds.) As in the previous book, Jay unspools a story-within-the-primer. One little girl, who has fallen asleep while reading, is transported to the magical landscape on the wings of the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg; this same bird serves as her chaperone as she visits the subsequent scenes as an amazed onlooker. At number 9, the goose is reunited with her precious-metal eggs, and the girl finds herself cast as Little Red Riding Hood and other heroines as the numbers reach 10 and head back to 1. Close attention will reveal other links; for example, the view of Jack's beanstalk (created from seven magic beans) also includes one of the eight rats who figure prominently in the following spread, inspired by the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The pictures are a wonder to behold: Jay's flattened perspectives, gently faded colors, crackle-glaze finishes and lean, angular characterizations vaguely evoke the dreamy, ambiguous narrative qualities of medieval art. And yet the pictures never feel like museum pieces—rather, they're like missives from a universe where it's Once Upon a Time 24/7. Ages 3-up. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A review from School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 3—In this beautiful companion volume to Jay's ABC (Dutton, 2003), a child ("one little girl sleeping") dreams that she travels on a large golden goose ("two soaring wings") to visit a variety of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Each place she visits has things to count: "three little pigs," "four frog princes," etc. The text is simple, with only three or four words on each page. The real story is told through the paintings done in Jay's familiar crackle-glaze style of simple shapes, jeweled colors, and soft lines. In each picture, the artist includes delightful details that reward observant viewers. For example, the page that says, "Eight running rats" also includes eight shoes, eight cupcakes, and a tiny view of the beanstalk from the previous page. The girl and the goose can be found on every spread, which adds continuity to the story. Some pages have hints of things to come, like the six beans lying on the table next to the six gingerbread men, foreshadowing the "Jack and the Beanstalk" scene on the next page. This clever picture book will delight the very young as well as children already familiar with the fairy tales.—Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

You can read more about Alison Jay here. She has also worked with other fantasy and fairy tale themes including these below.  I love her relaxing and somewhat retro style.