South Pacific

From Publishers Weekly
While the musical South Pacific has won a permanent place in American culture, a prose adaptation appears an odd choice for a children's book. Bestselling author Michener retells the story of the play, which is drawn from his own Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific . The text, with a short introduction and a final "storyteller's note," is a distilled, unadorned version with little dialogue. Emile de Becque's two part-Tonkinese children (which might hook young readers' interest) barely make an appearance here, the story, though the issue of racism in the two parallel love stories is plainly stated. Hague's artwork displays certain technical flaws: his human figures are static and unrealistic, beginning with a bland cover depiction of Nellie. On the other hand, the artist's sense of color and design, particularly in stagey group scenes, works well in this exotic setting. Overall, a muted palette and somewhat stilted prose produce a drab effect that may well limit the appeal of this ill-conceived project. All ages. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-- Michener has done himself, Rogers and Hammerstein, and children no favor by ``simplifying'' his own stories. The musical is based on two of the stories in Tales of the South Pacific (Macmillan, 1944), Michener's honest, gritty portrayal of life on the islands during World War II. Complex and adult, these intense stories succeeded in the musical format because the melodic and poetic line of song can convey that which cannot be baldly shown or stated. In this re-writing, Michener has ``novelized'' the playscript, even incorporating the phrase ``across a crowded room'' when describing the enchanted evening. The themes of love, racism, and war are too big to be watered down and this attempt just muddies a good story and might well cause a generation of confused readers to stay away from the play or movie. Except that probably very few will read it. Hague is a dependable draughtsman. However, in this book, he evokes a feeling of badly re-created '40s magazine illustrations. The result is odd and off-putting. While the island views, full of color and sunlight, set a lovely scene, the people's faces are unappealing and create no pull for their story. This is a peculiar choice for a picture book. Let's hope neither of these good craftsmen is judged by it.- Sally T. Margolis, Deerfield Public Library, ILCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


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