Citizens! Your Emporer, Trent Trendycrest, demands your attention!

It's been awhile since I last posted, because I had a surgery done. I'm back home now, so back to blogging. I'm glad it's book review day. Hmmmmm. What book should I review? So many books, so little time....

Oh, I know! Here is a wonderful book - a story you'll no doubt recognize, but done in a completely different way. The Emperor's New Clothes - An All-Star Illustrated Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale.


This book was done as a benefit for the Starbright Foundation. Here are the things I love about this book:

1. It's told by several different very famous people: Liam Neeson, Harrison Ford & Melissa Mathison, Angela Lansbury, Nathan Lane, Jason Alexander, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Madonna, Carrie Fisher & Penny Marshall, Melissa Joan Hart, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeff Goldblum, Dan Aykroyd, Robin Williams, Geena Davis, Calvin Klein, Rosie O'Donnell, Fran Drescher, Joan Rivers, Steven Spielberg, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, and John Lithgow! WOW!

2. When I say "told by", it's true. The story is recorded by the above celebrities on a CD that comes with the book. You can just listen and turn the pages. LOVE IT!

3. It's illustrated by several different very famous people: Quentin Blake, Maurice Sendak, Peter de Seve, Etienne Delessert, C. F. Payne, Mark Teague, Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher, Daniel Adel, Carter Goodrich, S. Saelig Gallagher, Gary Kelley, David Christiana, Chris Van Allsburg, Berkeley Breathed, Kinuko Y. Craft, Steven Kellogg, Tomie dePaola, Michael Parashevas, Fred Marcellino, Don Wood, Graeme Base, and William Joyce. That list includes many of my family's favorite illustrators.

So, to give you an idea of how each of these famous people play a part in this wonderful book...

The story is told by a moth, illustrated by Quentin Blake. Each character in the story is played by a famous person and illustrated by a famous person: i.e. The Imperial Prime Minister, as told by Liam Neeson and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. The Weaver Thieves, as told by Harrison Ford & Melissa Mathison and illustrated by Peter de Seve. Etc., etc. This is such a clever way to tell a story. I can't wait to turn the next page and listen to hear who is next going to chime in with part of the story. It's a very fun book to share with your kids.
(This is the paperbound cover)
Here are some of the inside pages...
The Emporer as told by John Lithgow and Illustrated by William Joyce

The Empress as told by Madonna and illustrated by Daniel Adel

The Dresser's Spectacles as told by Jason Alexander and illustrated by Mark Teague

You can go to Amazon.com and find this book in Hardbound or Paperback. It's definitely worth getting for your library.

FYI: The Starbright Foundation benefits seriously ill children. The proceeds from the sale of this book benefit the Starbright Foundation. From the chairman, Steven Spielberg: "Most children in hospitals are scared. I've found that they desperately want to know what's happening to them. Helping kids find answers to their questions about disease and giving them creative ways to cope with the challenges of serious illness if what Starbright is all about." All 23 celebrities and 23 acclaimed illustrators donated their time and creativity to help produce this book.

To learn more about the Starbright Foundation, go to www.starbright.org OR contact The STARBRIGHT Foundation, 1990 South Bundy Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90025, 1-800-315-2580.

(This information came from the inside the book)

Happy Reading!