Leonard Everett Fisher (1924–2024)

Author/illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher, who has retold many myths and folktales for children in his long career, here presents the legend of William Tell, the Swiss folk hero celebrated for shooting an apple off of his own son's head. Opening in 1307, when Gessler, the brutal Austrian governor of the Swiss town of Altdorf, made the townsfolk bow to his hat, the story follows Tell's refusal to obey, and the punishment meted out to him. After the famous incident in which Tell succeeds in show more shooting the apple, the book concludes with a brief summary of his adventures thereafter: from escaping imprisonment, by jumping out of a boat carrying him to the prison, to slaying Gessler, thereby freeing the area...

Although I am familiar with his work, William Tell is the first of Fisher's books that I have picked up. I was prompted to do so by my recent reading of Margaret Early's William Tell, which offers another picture-book retelling of the legend, as I wanted to compare that book to other versions. On the whole, I prefer Early's version, which draws in far more of the history - the Rütlischwur, and the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy - and feels more authentic to me. I do appreciate Fisher's telling however, and his somewhat dark-toned, but beautiful illustrations. I particularly liked his use of color here, and found his human faces expressive, if a little bit odd at times. Although not my favorite, this is still a solid retelling of the legend, and is one I would recommend to young folklore lovers, and to anyone looking for stories about William Tell for the picture-book set. show less

The illustrative approach to this picture book, a shading technique using only black, white, and gray, gives Mahatma Gandhi's age-appropriate legacy a feel that mirrors the tumultuous events of his life. While the book contains aspects of world history which are usually covered in middle grades, the neatly summarized adaptation of Gandhi's pursuit of equality makes for an excellent supplement to that topic.

I think Fisher's title would have been only slightly more accurate if he had added the word quotations to "with photographs, maps, and drawings" because that's all that was missing. In addition to an informative narrative and the before mentioned photos, maps, and drawings Fisher includes fitting quotes from Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Woodrow Wilson as well as song lyrics and poetry. While Tracks Across America is a condensed version of the story of the American railroad show more Fisher makes an effort to include all aspects of the history including before the railroads, the building period, the Civil War, Native American "resistance" (really hard to read), famous robberies and disasters, and progress with bigger and faster engines. show less

The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt is more of an introduction to its subject than an exhaustive exploration of it. Leonard Everett Fisher touches on thirteen gods and goddesses that form the basis of Egyptian mythology, elaborating on their origins, roles, and portrayal in Egyptian art in a handful of concise paragraphs. Accompanying the text are large, bright illustrations of the gods and goddesses, each styled to mimic the art of the time. A brief family tree, pronunciation guide, and show more bibliography complete the book, making it an ideal pick for a younger reader. Older readers may appreciate learning the basics of Egyptian gods and goddesses but will likely want more information on gods and goddesses that Fisher only briefly mentions: Seshat, Apis, Thoth, and Nun. show less