Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

A coffee table classic, with Darley's illustrations from 1848 and 1849 -- ""the six from Rip Van Winkle (with 19th century coloring) from the collection of Sleepy Hollow Restorations and the six from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow especially colored for this edition by Fritz Kredel. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Part of the Graphic Planet umbrella series, this Graphic Horror entry is an entertaining and faithful, if much adapted version of Irving's classic story. Zornow's illustrations are the highlight of the work, successfully bringing the characters of the story to life, especially the ridiculous Ichabod Crane and the terrifying Headless Horseman. Although his panels are uninspired rectangles, Zornow's layout is artistic, and the coloring, by Lynx Studios, is very attractive. The text is not easy to read. Most of the words are in text boxes (there are just a few speech bubbles), and the type size is small. What's more, the brief glossary doesn't cover much. Although serious graphic novel readers will probably pass this by,  patient readers, especially those unacquainted with the original story, may find themselves drawn in by the mix of fun and horror Zornow has created in his pictures. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

Washington Irving's classic American scare tale combines satire, horror, and farce, and in a memorable rendition well timed for Halloween, Grimly's darkly comic drawings draw forth all of these elements. As in his Edgar Allen Poe's Tales of Mystery and Madness (2004), the artwork unfolds in sepia-toned panels and vignettes that show Grimly's inspirations in early American comics. True to the source, the Horseman episode passes rather swiftly; most of the emphasis is on ridiculous Ichabod Crane, like "some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield," captured here in all of his gangly absurdity. Readers craving serious gooseflesh may find this less horrific than they expected, but the humor they discover, effectively interpreted by Grimly, is likely a worthwhile trade. Teachers wanting to share Irving's work aloud will welcome the gently abridged text, even if the small panels won't show well to a crowd; Grimly's arch, gothic sensibility, akin to that of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey, will even attract some high-school readers. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. It's been around for 150 years, but the story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is still both shivery and funny. In the rich and heightened language of its time, it is still easily digestible. The naive, lanky schoolmaster Ichabod, the swaggering Brom Bones, and the rivalry over the "plump as a partridge" heiress Katrina Van Tassel are recognizable, indeed. Also recognizable are the landscape and towns of New York State, bursting with harvest ripeness. Add to this great mix the fine ghostly figure of the Headless Horseman, and the story remains a Halloween favorite. Oil paintings by Russ Flint will resonate with children who might have grown up with the Walt Disney sanitized version: elongated figures and rubbery angles fill an autumnal landscape of burnished colors in wicked oranges and golds. ((Reviewed October 1, 1999)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

"Paintings by Grandma Moses's great-grandson make a striking match for the classic story," said PW. Ages 5-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

``This is a vivid piece of storytelling, which takes full advantage of the atmospheric Catskill setting and highlights the comic gifts of Irving's story,'' PW commented. ``Howe good-spiritedly taps the elements of the tale that make it an American favorite.'' Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information.

Howe, working in a style that is just as realistic as Locker's (see above), highlights the comic gifts of Irving's story: his Rip waves jauntily to a scarecrow, sneaks away from the house unaware that a stern Dame Van Winkle looks on and, in one frame, is seen scrambling out the door away from the shrewish, pointing finger of his wife (the rest of her is offstage). Henry Hudson's crew are a wild-eyed, caricatured bunch; Rip, upon awakening, has ivy and brambles clinging to his hat and pants, and his beard sails down past his knees. He returns to his village and is mistaken for a soldier of the American revolution; but soon settles into a serene life with his daughter and is lastly shown carving from wood the figures of the small men from his ``night'' on the mountain. This is a vivid piece of storytelling, which takes full advantage of the atmospheric Catskill setting. Howe good-spiritedly taps the elements of the tale that make it an American favorite. Ages 4-8. (September) Copyright 1988 Cahners Business Information.

Readers who haven't sat down recently with Irving's classic tale, or those who have yet to be introduced to it, are in for a treat. Written in 1820, the story of the slumbering Dutchman is remarkably fresh, told with verve and panache. In keeping with the caliber of the prose, Kelley's artwork echoes the classic tradition (and in fact occasionally brings to mind N. C. Wyeth). His light-dappled landscapes and portraits are drawn on a grand scale, and rendered in sombre, autumnal hues that hint at the story's innate mystery. Irving's puckish wit and droll descriptions are a delight. For more mature readers, the effort of navigating Irving's occasionally florid style is rewarded with many such morsels. Beautifully designed and elegantly type-set on high-quality stock, this book is as much a pleasure to hold as it is to read. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 1993 Cahners Business Information.

Mystery, suspense, legend, romance and humor can all be found in Wolkstein's fine retelling of Washington Irving's classic folktale. Through the gluttonous Ichabod Crane and the devilish prankster Bron Bones, children are transported into a foul nightmare: being chased by a headless horseman who's searching a shadowy forest for his lost head. Wolkstein weaves reality and imagination with simple, eloquent sentences. Alley's graphic watercolors skillfully portray both the humorous Icabod with his pointed nose and long feet, and the gothic underworld of the haunted forest where even the horses become demonic. Ages 6-9. (September) Copyright 1987 Cahners Business Information.

``This is a vivid piece of storytelling, which takes full advantage of the at mospheric Catskill setting and high lights the comic gifts of Irving's story,'' PW commented. ``Howe good-spirited ly taps the elements of the tale that make it an American favorite.'' Ages 4- 8. (Sept.) Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information.

All the elements of Washington Irving's 1820 tale come into play in this retelling, but it's Moses's (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) Hudson River backdrop that lends elegance to the volume. From the opening scene of great schooners winding their way downriver through the Catskill Mountains, the illustrations situate readers in an enchanted land. Moses lays the groundwork for lazy, good-natured Rip's transformation by portraying the protagonist propped up against a tree, whether in his own yard or just outside the town tavern where he gathers with his friends. Scorned by his wife one too many times, Rip heads for a hilltop with a vista of birches, pines and peak autumn colors. Moses successfully evokes the feeling of time stopped with his portrait of the mysterious band of revelers who lead Rip astray: the Dutchmen garbed in nearly clownish costume, a lone wisp of smoke escaping above the russet mountaintops, the ground in pale, neutral colors. The paintings aptly capture the momentous changes that occur during Rip's 20-year sleep (1769-1789): trees are larger, the tavern sign that once depicted King George III now displays General Washington, and new homes dot an otherwise familiar landscape. Small vignettes serve as close-ups to reveal the personalities of the various characters, though an illustration depicting Rip "surrounded by a troop of children, hanging on his coattails, clambering up his back" would have played up Rip's more positive attributes. Moses's tangible representation of Irving's setting and characters serves as a faithful introduction to the tale. Ages 4-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Paintings by Grandma Moses's great-grandson make a striking match for Irving's classic story of strange goings-on in a small town in the Hudson Valley. Though greatly condensed, the plot remains intact; Ichabod Crane, the gangly schoolteacher, is driven out of Sleepy Hollow by a pumpkin-headed horseman who may (or may not) have been his flesh-and-blood rival to the affections of Katrina, a well-off young beauty. The paintings-naive, bright and straightforward in the tradition associated with Moses's illustrious forebear-suit the story stylistically although they do not fully enter into its spirit; they do not vary to plumb the moods of the story, which range from low country comedy to romance to suspense and terror. But the illustrations are well placed, either as two-page set pieces of the churchyard or Katrina's family farm (these are strikingly similar in composition to the work of Grandma Moses), or as small vignettes amidst the text. Overall, an attractive illustrated storybook, which may excite interest in the original. Ages 6-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 5 Up— Grimly's interpretation of Irving's classic features quirky, creepy artwork that is strange in all the right ways. Calling to mind R. Crumb's crosshatched, wild-eyed, weirdly proportioned characters, Grimly's Ichabod Crane and the other townspeople are (predictably) grim caricatures. To cast the town in a perpetual twilight, the artist relies on a muted palette of grays, browns, tans, and oranges, which provides ample range and visual variety. The art and the text are not exactly symbiotic; Irving's prose, even with a few modifications, is simply too dense for modern readers. Youngsters may find themselves reading the text and examining the art separately, rather than absorbing both at the same time. More heavily graphic than an illustrated story, but still not quite a graphic novel, and equally at home in juvenile or young adult sections, this inventive but faithful adaptation deserves shelf space in most libraries.—Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC

Gr 7 Up-The Legend of Sleepy Hollow takes place in Tarrytown, and tells the story of schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, Connecticut native, who comes to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. He becomes the neighborhood song master, reads Cotton Mather, steeps himself in local folklore, and competes with Brom Bones for the affections of Katrina. One afternoon, after being rebuffed by Katrina, he briskly rides off on his landlord's horse, sees an apparition of a headless horseman, and is never seen again in Sleepy Hollow. The townspeople have a myriad of theories concerning his disappearance. Rip Van Winkle is the short tale of a henpecked man who is very much liked by the townspeople, but is a failure as a farmer and family man. He journeys up the mountains one afternoon with his dog and stumbles upon a strangely dressed group of men who offer him a drink that puts him to sleep for 20 years. The world to which he awakens is greatly changed. George Vafiadis provides flawless narration for these tales by Washington Irving. His voice is strong, distinctive, and clear. Students may find this audio version helpful in understanding these tales set in the 18th century. The language is archaic and patronizing to women and blacks, although it is was appropriate to the time. The action takes place after a great deal of description, and middle schoolers may miss the tongue-in-cheek humor. Students may need prompting to listen to these two tales. That said, these classic tales are steeped in atmosphere and reveal a great deal about the social and political history of the time.-Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 3-6?Unlike the more concise adaptations by Robert Van Nutt (Rabbit Ears, 1991) and Robert San Souci (Doubleday, 1986), this version of the classic tale, retold by Grandma Moses's great-grandson, remains true to the original in its lengthy and flowery narration. An unnamed storyteller enthusiastically relays the legend of the Headless Horseman and his effect on the schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, in ``...a mysterious, dreamy little settlement called Sleepy Hollow.'' While there are occasional awkward passages, the text is lively and compelling, with a 19th-century flavor. The primitive paintings enhance the Hudson Valley setting; unfortunately, their quality is uneven. Moses is most successful with the double-page landscapes and village scenes (similar to his great-grandmother's style), which will intrigue readers with their detailed activity. A few of the smaller vignettes capture humorous situations and the personalities of individual characters, but many, especially the night scenes, are indistinct and muddy. Moses includes black characters in the illustrations, though he has removed Irving's stereotyped descriptive passages. The lively text begs to be read aloud, but the detailed paintings lend themselves to one-on-one viewing. Try San Souci's or Van Nutt's version if you are sharing the illustrations with a group.?Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ

Gr 3-5-- Ichabod Crane's peculiar looks may not have found favor in Katrina Van Tassel's eyes--but in Flint's illustrations, Katrina's own eyes are crossed, and pop from a fleshy, sharp-nosed visage, thin-lipped, jowly, and neckless. (Irving's original description of Katrina as a ``blooming lass'' has been deleted from this adaptation.) Her favored suitor, Brom, looks like an early avatar of The Incredible Hulk (badly in need of orthodontics): Irving wrote of his ``bluff but not unpleasant countenance.'' Even skinny Ichabod doesn't look so bad next to this loutish yokel, making Katrina's choice rather puzzling. The lurid color (a midnight sky of tomato soup, a pea green Crane) and bizarre perspective (the Headless Horseman's steed seems to be falling on its neck, although it's only rounding a corner at speed) owe something to modern art, but only caricature Irving's own art. There is humor in Irving's tale, but what we have here is parody. Choose Diane Wolkstein's retelling (Morrow, 1987), despite the indifferent cartoon illustrations; or stick with the ``unadapted'' meandering, dreamy prose of the original text, with color and line art by Rackham (Morrow, 1990). --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 3-8–This is the Spanish version of the 2008 graphic-novel retelling of Washington Irving's tale. The small town of Tarry has a new schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane. As he adjusts to his post, he hears rumors that a terrifying headless horseman is on the loose in the nearby valley. Crane, being a superstitious fellow, must face his fears as he crosses creepy Sleepy Hollow in search of beautiful Katrina, his pupil and the daughter of wealthy farmer Balt Van Tassel. However, Crane is not Katrina's only suitor. The brawny Brom will stop at nothing to spend time with the striking young woman. Smith's full-color illustrations and Hoena's narration rejuvenate the famously spooky legend of the 1800s. Notes about Washington Irving and the real Sleepy Hollow, discussion questions, and essay ideas will extend learning beyond the story.–Jessica McClinton, King County Library System, Auburn, WA

Gr 4-8 –Four classic tales of horror and one original monster story are presented in this series. Styles of art and lettering are matched to the period and tone of each volume. Ho's illustrations for Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde are sepia-toned and accompanied by text in an ornate font, while Zornow's Sleepy Hollow scenes range from the bright colors of a sunlit farm to the dark, moody road late at night, all accompanied by classic comic-book lettering. Zornow's original werewolf tale pits the beast against an array of monsters commanded by a vampire in an action-packed adventure well suited to its length. Frankenstein , Jekyll & Hyde , and Mummy (based on an unspecified Bram Stoker work, but drawing heavily on The Jewel of Seven Stars ), unfortunately, all suffer from being so condensed. Still, young horror fans will enjoy these graphic (not gory) renditions.–Beth Gallego, Los Angeles Public Library, North Hollywood

K-Gr 5 Irving's complete text, with unsurpassed pictures by N. C. Wyeth, is still in print (Morrow, 1987). Although Howe's abridgement makes the story available to younger readers, it is debatable whether too much of the mystery and historythe sense of the passing of time and of political changehas been sacrificed in the shortening. Irving's plot has been respected, and although little of his style remains, the narrative line is clear and (except for several pages of uninterrupted text near the end) well-paced to the pictures. Howe works in the ``classic'' Brandywine/Rackham vein, but the pictures skip around seasonally, even though Irving specifies an autumn setting. His interests lie in portraiture and period detail, and while the latter may be lost on a young audience, the wonderful faces of the Half Moon crew, featured on the cover, will grab browsers. If there is a profound side to the tale of Rip's 20-year escapist nap (RIP?), it isn't apparent in this humorous retelling or in the luminous paintings. Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle Copyright 1988 Cahners Business Information.