Saviour Pirotta
Saviour Pirotta is a Maltese-born British author and playwright who resides in England. He is mostly known for the bestselling The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths, an adaptation of the Russian folktale, Firebird, and the Ancient Greek Myste ...
Templar Publishing
Bonnier AB (), also the Bonnier Group, is a privately held Swedish media group of 175 companies operating in 15 countries. It is controlled by the Bonnier family.
Background
The company was founded in 1804 by Gerhard Bonnier in Copenhagen, Den ...
in the United Kingdom and by
Candlewick Press
Candlewick Press, established in 1992 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, is part of the Walker Books group. The logo depicting a bear carrying a candle is based on Walker Books's original logo.
Sebastian Walker launched Walker Books fro ...
in the United States. Firebird won an Aesop Accolade from the
American Folklore Society
The American Folklore Society (AFS) is the US-based professional association for folklorists, with members from the US, Canada, and around the world, which aims to encourage research, aid in disseminating that research, promote the responsible ...
and a Best Book Award from the
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
Oppenheim () is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is a well-known wine center, being the home of the German Winegrowing Museum, and is particularly known for the wines from the Oppenheimer Krötenbru ...
. It was also nominated for the
Kate Greenaway
Catherine Greenaway (17 March 18466 November 1901) was an English Victorian artist and writer, known for her
children's book illustrations. She received her education in graphic design and art between 1858 and 1871 from the Finsbury School of ...
medal in the UK.
History
Hyde, an artist based in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...
, had already illustrated a first book for
Templar Publishing
Bonnier AB (), also the Bonnier Group, is a privately held Swedish media group of 175 companies operating in 15 countries. It is controlled by the Bonnier family.
Background
The company was founded in 1804 by Gerhard Bonnier in Copenhagen, Den ...
called The Princess' Blankets and written by poet
Carol Ann Duffy
Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...
. 2010 was the centenary of Stravinsky's Firebird Ballet and the publishers wanted to celebrate with a picture book retelling of the story. Hyde was asked to produce some sketches which served as the inspiration for Pirotta's version. The story is based on Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf, a Russian folktale that was one of the inspirations for the ballet. Pirotta's version is shortened and has a different ending from the original. Pirotta sets the firebird free, in tribute to activists in his country of origin who were canvassing the government to stop recreational hunting and bird trapping.
Reception
''Firebird'' has been positively received. WriteAway.org said about it, "Saviour Pirotta’s retelling of this story is note perfect. His language is rich and elevated without being ostentatious or disrupting the flow and pace of the storytelling. The cadences of the storytelling voice create a timeless mood and the story reads aloud beautifully." Booktrust called it "a wonderful retelling" and remarked that "Catherine Hyde’s beautiful, atmospheric paintings perfectly capture the fairytale quality of the story."
The Bookseller
''The Bookseller'' is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Philip Jones is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine and the website. The magazine is home to the ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddest ...
noted that 'it is told in a clear, engaging style by talented storyteller Saviour Pirotta." while Playground Diaries wrote that "Saviour Pirotta takes his readers on a magical journey through the pages of his book Firebird. Based on a Russian ballet, Pirotta’s masterfully illustrated story contains heroism, triumph, love, friendship and freedom.
Valerie Coghlan reviewing for
Books for Keeps
''Books for Keeps'' is a British online magazine covering children's books.Kirkus Reviews found "The full-page acrylic paintings dominate the book with their atmospheric, nighttime settings and elegant gold lines."