Count Silvernose: A Story from Italy by Holiday House *Online Library »DOC

Editorial : From School Library Journal Grade 1-4?A Bluebeard variant from Italy. The two younger daughters of an old washerwoman are lovely, foolish, and useless, while the oldest is homely, clever, and strong. She is also fiercely protective of her sisters, and when each is carried off by the mysterious Count Silvernose and later reported dead, Assunta resolves to discover the truth. She finds her sisters alive, tormented by imps and demons in a fiery pit. She rescues them and outwits the wicked Count, who ends up in the pit himself. Kimmel's smooth, richly detailed narrative differs significantly from the source cited, building on its basic framework and adding original interpretation and characterization. Assunta is a memorable and powerful heroine and more than a match for the shallow, smooth-talking Count. Rayyan's impressive watercolors resemble a Renaissance sketchbook. Many of the double-page spreads lead the eye from sepia-washed sketches to a central, vibrantly colored, and sometimes sc