“The Selfish Giant”

“The Selfish Giant” is one of two texts in The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Vol. 1. When a curmudgeonly giant walls off his lovely garden so the neighborhood children mightn’t enjoy it, he incurs Spring’s disdain and the dire consequences of life without seasonal renewal. Having seen the error of his ways, the giant redeems himself by opening both his heart and his earthly paradise to the children and gains his eternal reward. Russell employs a cartoon style with a muted color pallet to not only complement Wilde’s tale with illustrations but also extend its tale with subtle symbolism. The color choices reflect not only the colors of the seasons but the spiritual and emotional qualities that are often associated with each season such as punishment, hope, rebirth, and redemption. Russell’s rendering would make an excellent introduction to Fairy Tales as a genre or to the work of Oscar Wilde. Furthermore, this work could stand alone as a masterful use of archetypes and symbolism.

“The Star Child” by Oscar Wilde; illus. and adapted by P. Craig Russell
High School
Nantier Bill Minoustchine
28pp.
Published 1992
ISBN 1-56163-056-x
$15.95

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