Flying to Neverland with Peter Pan

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Flying to Neverland with Peter Pan

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Overview

Peter Pan: a live television special on NBC in 2014!

Lyrics from two beloved songs from Peter Pan are transformed into a magical picture book sure to enchant the musical’s legions of new and returning fans. Acclaimed songwriters Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Carolyn Leigh knew a thing or two about crafting songs that touch hearts and imaginations and endure for generations. They hit one of their many pinnacles with this pair of lovely odes to “a place where dreams are born” and the joys of flying—whether over a sleeping city or inside one’s very own bedroom.

The Tony Award-winning actress Phyllis Newman, wife of the late Adolph Green, contributes a personal introduction to the songs. With this and luminous illustrations, including a lavish gatefold of the “flying” scene, this is an extraordinary book to give, to cherish, to share.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609052492
Publisher:	Blue Apple Books
Publication date:	10/23/2012
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Betty Comden and Adolph Green produced six decades-worth of plays, melodies, and lyrics. Drawing on J.M. Barrie's book and play, the duo wrote lyrics for several songs in the 1954 smash hit musical "Peter Pan." The production went on to become a perennial favorite with countless revivals and productions. Their other famed collaborations include "On the Town," "Do Re Me!", "Singing in the Rain," and "Applause", to name but a few. While both are now deceased, their legacy and melodies linger on—on stages, screens, and in this lovely book. Phyllis Newman, a two-time Tony award-winning actress, brings a personal perspective to these songs whose lyrics her late husband wrote with his creative partner, Betty Comden.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

Is a truncated Peter Pan better than none at all? Bates’s (Minette’s Feast) gossamer watercolors give this version of Barrie’s story, told primarily through the lyrics of two songs from the 1954 musical, an immediacy and dreamy wildness. Peter is unmistakably feral—he’s naked to the waist—while Tinker Bell, although never mentioned directly, is a spitball of jealous fury. Today’s overscheduled children should find the lyrics as seductive and heart-tugging as did their parents and grandparents: “I have a place where dreams are born,/ And time is never planned./ It’s not on any chart,/ You must find it with your heart./ Never Never Land” (audio of both songs is available on the publisher’s Web site). But because this book starts with Peter flying into the nursery and ends with the arrival of the children on the magical island, both its essential framing device (no Nana! No battling Darlings!) and two thirds of the action (no crocodile! No Captain Hook!) are missing. Readers even remotely familiar with the story may feel cheated—or simply reach for the Disney DVD instead. Ages 4–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

High praise for Blue Apple's picture book rendition of Comden and Green's What's New at the Zoo?:
*"...the lyrics of the Tony-winning duo scan perfectly. Green's widow, Phyllis Newman adds an appealing introduction and afterword. Fresh and vintage at the same time."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred
*A Kirkus Best Books of 2011 selection
"With fun lift-the-flap details and tummy-tickling rhymes, this book will appeal to fans of slapstick humor. The cartoon illustrations really bring the silliness to life. A great read-aloud with an interesting history and musical connection."
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Lyrics from two of the songs composed in 1954 for the musical Peter Pan have been transformed into a picture book that introduces children to Peter, Wendy, Michael, John and Tinkerbell. The actress Phyllis Newman wrote the introduction and she comments on the continuing popularity of the musical. Her late husband was one of the composers. The illustrations capture the playful Peter, energetic Tinkerbell, and responsible Wendy. The flying scenes are delightful. A gate fold leads the reader out the window and over the tops of the buildings in foggy London. The words of the songs are the text and, unfortunately, when they are simply read they feel rather flat. Go to the publisher's website to listen to the songs. It is too bad a CD was not included with the book for it would have made it a much richer experience. This is not the story of Peter Pan. It is simply an introduction to the play, and to the characters and their ability and desire to fly. For a rich reading experience, stick with J.M.Barrie's original story. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

PreS-Gr 3—Two songs from the musical Peter Pan, "I'm Flying" and "Never Never Land," tell the story of that very enchanted night in which Peter first arrived in the Darling children's room and their subsequent journey to Neverland. The pastel-colored watercolors evoke the quiet wonder of a world enchanted by fairy dust. Pale grays and blue/green grays contrast with warm yellows and peaches, creating a world aglow at night. And, of course, there is TinkerBell, "no bigger than a pinprick of light." Peter looks like a harmless orphaned wild boy with a vine still clinging to his back and his hair akimbo. Bold type offsets the story that frames the italicized lyrics. The colors are lovely. The lyrics are elegant and timeless with Peter singing, "I'm FLYING!/Flying, flying, flying./I can soar, I can weave./And what's more,/I'm not even trying."—Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA

School Library Journal

The Broadway production of Peter Pan has remained a great audience favorite in theaters and on television, and now two of its signature songs are celebrated in a storybook format. First staged in 1954, Peter Pan featured the brilliant performances of Mary Martin as Peter and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook, with music by Mark Charlap and lyrics by Leigh. In this book, the story opens as Peter, accompanied by Tinkerbell, returns to the home of the Darling children in search of his shadow. At this point in the show, producer Jerry Robbins had asked the legendary songwriting team of Comden and Green for an additional song. Their Never Never Land is Peter's soaring ode to a "place where dreams are born." He then invites Wendy and her brothers to "think wonderful, lovely thoughts" and fly home with him past the "second star to the right" in the exuberant I'm Flying. And so the book concludes. Bates uses delicate watercolors to depict her fairy world, with both full-page paintings and spot art creating an atmosphere of wonder and mystery. The music is not included, alas. Get a recording for maximum magic! (Phyllis Newman, Green's wife and Tony Award winner in her own right, provides an introduction [not seen].) A lovely way to share a sprinkling of fairy dust. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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