The Golden Key (Illustrated)

The Golden Key (Illustrated)

George MacDonald's beloved Victorian fairy tale The Golden Key is lavishly illustrated with forty-eight pictures in scratchboard by children's book artist Ruth Sanderson, winner of the Texas Bluebonnet award for The Golden Mare, The Firebird, and the Magic Ring. - The book also includes an in-depth afterward by author Jane Yolen and an illustrator's note by Sanderson. This is a new edition of the book published in 2016 by Eerdman's Books for Young Readers. - The story is divided into 10 chapters for a middle-grade audience. The story and detailed illustrations can be enjoyed by adult fans of MacDonald as well as children. Excerpt: There was a boy who used to sit in the twilight and listen to his great-aunt’s stories. She told him that if he could reach the place where the end of the rainbow stands he would find there a golden key. “And what is the key for?” the boy would ask. “What is it the key of? What will it open?” “That nobody knows,” his aunt would reply. “He has to find that out.” “I suppose, being gold,” the boy once said, thoughtfully, “that I could get a good deal of money for it if I sold it.” “It would be better never to find it than sell it,” returned his aunt. And the boy went to bed and dreamed about the golden key. Description: When he learns about the golden key, young Mossy is determined to find it. But getting the golden key is the easy part—discovering what it unlocks is a much harder task. Joined by a runaway girl named Tangle, they set out to find the key's purpose, and discover their own along the way. Praise for this illustrated edition (Reviews from the first edition from 2016 published by Eerdman's Books for Young Readers.: “Now with the wonderful illustrations of Ruth Sanderson, I think we can see a real balance between Art and Literature....Ruth’s extraordinarily detailed creations are as multi-layered as the story itself.” — Christopher MacDonald (George MacDonald's great-grandson) “Sanderson’s illustrations are deeply textured and dramatic, enhancing the vivid imagery of the narrative with many full pages and spreads.” —School Library Journal “Sanderson’s dramatic black and white scratchboard illustrations bring grace and depth to this story.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books