The Bronze Cauldron

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

As this book's title might lead readers to hope, the talented McCaughrean and Willey team (The Golden Hoard; The Silver Treasure) indeed serves up a tantalizing brew of storytelling, magic and spice. McCaughrean gathers 27 tales from nearly as many cultures and gives them her own special polish. From her dramatic accounts of Doctor Faust signing his soul over to the Devil, to the clandestine romance between Cupid and Psyche, to an Indian legend about a vicarious trip around the world, McCaughrean covers a broad range of themes and tones. Her careful descriptions evoke exotic lands and characters, while her easygoing, fluid writing and frequent flashes of humor make this collection eminently readable as family or classroom fare. Willey's predominantly dark, surreally hued paintings appear as both smaller spot illustrations and full-page works throughout. Such mythical beasts as dragons, witches, mermen and dancing fish populate her diverse scenes. As a clever design element, Willey includes a boldly patterned bar-shaped graphic beneath the title of each tale, hinting at its cultural flavor. A collection to relish. Ages 10-up. (May)

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Third in her collections of myths and legends of the world, McCaughrean retells a few familiar tales such as "Sadako and the Tsar of the Sea," "Doctor Faust," and "The Golem," but many of them will be new to readers. The scope is broad, and readers will savor delicacies from the Far East, Far North, and even the Northwest Pacific Coast. Many stories go back thousands of years, such as those telling of the exploits of Buddha and Taru, a Hittite weather god, while others like the story of Emperor Charlemagne and Doctor Faust are more contemporary. The tales are beautifully illustrated with pictures that range in size from little insets to full pages and are filled with interesting details that reflect the various cultures. This rich collection will bring so many hours of reading enjoyment that you may want to pick up the two predecessors, The Golden Hoard and The Silver Treasure.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Another collection of stories from around the world by the successful team that gave readers The Golden Hoard (1996) and The Silver Treasure (1997, both McElderry). Here McCaughrean delivers 27 myths and legends that show the dark side of humanity bubbling to the top of the cauldron of life. Some tales are familiar, such as "Cupid and Psyche" and "The Golem"; others, such as "Sun's Son" from Tonga, introduce new territory. Though dark, the tales often shed light on emotions and actions of the characters, leaving readers satisfied and thoughtful. The writing is clear and engaging while the illustrations deftly pick out details of the stories and bring them to light, placing the tales visually within a cultural context. Useful notes provide information on the selections and complete the volume. Alone or accompanying the earlier titles, this book will delight folktale enthusiasts, enhance multicultural studies, and bring pleasure to those who just like a good story.-Angela J. Reynolds, West Slope Community Library, Portland, OR

Kirkus Reviews

Continuing their collaboration on collections of stories (The Golden Hoard, 1996; The Silver Treasure, 1997), McCaughrean and Willey serve up 27 stories from around the world, focusing this time on individuals. Heroes or villains, all the people who inhabit these pages possess an inner strength of character, or a sense of destiny and purpose. Included are brief tales of Siddhartha, Faust, Psyche, Buddha, Sisyphus, and the Golem, an episode from Finland's Kalevala, an Aboriginal story, "Bobbi Bobbi!," and works from West Africa, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Central America, the Polynesian islands, andþit seemsþthe rest of the globe. McCaughrean's poetic prose is wonderfully rhythmic, and carries readers effortlessly along on waves of story. The pictures, as in the earlier volumes, are most effective when dealing with non-human elements, atmospherically conjuring settings that borrow from all eras, all regions. The endnotes, this time, are perfunctory and too brief to contribute to readers' understanding of the tales' origins, but the storiesþbrief and lyricalþcarry the wealth and wisdom of the human experience. (Folklore. 10-14)