Firebird by Rachel Isadora is a retelling of the ballet "The Firebird". In this story, Prince Ivan enters the magical forest and finds the magical Firebird. At first, he captures of the Firebird, but then decides to set her free, she thanks him by giving him a feather so wave if he ever needs help. He then finds 10 princesses who've been captured by an evil sorcerer, he saves them with the help of the Firebird.

A lovely picture-book that brings the ballet to life for those of us who will never see a performance. ( )

This book is clearly based on the ballet, and not the folktale directly. The illustrations show the characters dancing, executing leaps and all that. This has the advantage of making the artwork in this book some of the most beautiful I've seen in a while, with the very small disadvantage of making it sometimes a little opaque in terms of the actual story.

Luckily, the book is well-written as well as well-illustrated, so the pictures can accompany the story without having to carry it.

This would be a good addition to nearly any library - full of excitement and, well, beautiful dance. It's a bit wordy for the younger set, so consider your audience. ( )

Folktale. This story is about Prince Ivan. He finds himself in a glorious garden with golden fruit. Then the firebird comes flying into the garden. Prince Ivan captures her. He realizes she was meant to be free so he lets her go. Many maidens then come to the garden and they are running from an evil man. He remembers the red feather the firebird gave him for letting her go. He magically gets a golden sword and everyone lives happily ever after. This is a classic folktale that teaches the strength that comes with being good. I would also use this book for any student who is interested in ballet because the illustrations are wonderful, and this story has been adapted for the stage.