osprey_archer | Caldecott Monday: The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship

I have long meant to read a book by Arthur Ransome (most famous for his Swallows and Amazons series, which I always expected would be the book that I read) - so imagine my surprise to found a book he wrote on the Caldecott winner list!

It's an adaptation of a Russian folk tale, and - further surprise - I discovered upon reading the back cover that Ransome actually spent quite a bit of time in Russia; he was there as a reporter when the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917. Who knew he had such an interesting life?

I actually have a book from Netgalley now about the Russian Revolution through the eyes of Western reporters who were there, and now I'm terribly curious to see if Arthur Ransome is in it. We'll see!

But to get back to the supposed topic of this post: the illustrations! They are charming. I particularly like the panoramic views looking down from the flying ship (which is a real sailing ship, with sails and everything) as it drifts above the landscape.

Also! This year's Caldecott and Newbery Awards will be announced next Monday. I'm feeling quite excited about it!