Magic Flute

Retells the story of the Mozart opera in which the noble Prince Tamino seeks the fair Pamina against a backdrop of the battle between darkness and light.

Enter a magical world of monster serpents, mysterious ladies, and flying machines where giant flowers and butterflies the size of birds abound. It is here, amidst a lush wood and within a dark labyrinthine castle that an unforgettable cast of characters gathers and a magical story of good versus evil unfolds. Readers will thrill as Prince Tamino strives to save Princess Pamina from the wicked Queen of the Night and the Chancellor Monostatos. Accompanied by Papageno, the birdcatcher, and a magic flute to ward off evil, Tamino and Pamina must overcome thundering waterfalls and walls of fire to save their kingdom from darkness and live happily ever after.

Illustrated with the glorious paintings of Peter Malone, this enchanting retelling of Mozart's famous opera paired with an audio CD is sure to delight lovers of fairytales and music alike.

Children's Literature

Mozart's last opera is presented as a series of short scenes, making the complex fairy tale more accessible. Fabulous, colorful paintings depict the scenes described in the text. The book is accompanied by a CD containing 16 selections from the opera, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Bernard Haitink. The reader is cued to the proper selection at the end of each section of text. Curiously, the Queen of the Night's first aria is omitted; this aria introduces her character and makes Tamino's desire to help free her daughter seem reasonable rather than misguided. The recording is somewhat muted; Papageno's panpipes are barely heard and the celebratory chorus at the end doesn't have the usual thunder. Despite these flaws, the book is gorgeous, and serves as a wonderful introduction to opera.

Peter Malone is a full-time illustrator who enjoys painting in gouache. His work has appeared in The Times and The New Yorker . He lives with his wife and two young daughters in the United Kingdom.

Anne Gatti is an Irish writer based in England. She has two children. She enjoys writing both fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults, and has published several re-tellings of traditional stories, from Aesop's to African folk tales.