Horn Book

Moses modernizes the language but preserves the integrity of Irving's original story. Folk-art paintings rendered in autumnal hues suit the story's Revolutionary-era setting and the pastoral vistas of the mountains and aptly convey a colorful cast of characters, from shrewish wife to good-natured layabout to mysterious band of revelers.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6--In the form of a long flashback, Annie Ellinger narrates the melodramatic tale of her companion Conrad (Connie) Leondar, whose life waxed adventuresome when he discovered--back in the summer of 1930--his uncanny ability to read people's minds. Obliged to substitute for his father in the family's vaudeville act, Connie dons the costume and mysterious attitude of a mind reader, only to learn, when confronted by a villainous face in the audience, that his telepathic aptitude is alarmingly real. Soon famous for this newfound skill, Connie is nonetheless troubled by the dark side of human nature he reads in others. He flees from the San Francisco theater where his family performs and ferries across the bay to Berkeley in search of a possible relative rumored to live there. With Annie along for support, the friends encounter a succession of eccentric, and potentially menacing characters, until they finally find a genuinely good man in the person of cousin Crazy Joe Leondar. The Bay area is aptly rendered, with well-integrated mention of fog, cable cars, hills, eucalyptus, and walnut orchards. Plot twists involve the recurrent figure of antagonist Rusty Shanks, whose wicked deeds eventually land him in jail just about the time Connie and Annie are happily reunited with their parents. Connie remains a somewhat enigmatic character, most likely due to the long-ago quality of the tale, yet the voice of Annie is direct and engaging, and the result is fine storytelling.--Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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.)

ALA Booklist

A companion volume to Moses' edition of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1995), this book retells, in somewhat simplified language, Irving's classic tale of Rip Van Winkle, who fell asleep in the Catskills one evening and awoke 20 years later. Oil paintings appear on nearly every page of this large-format book, which includes a double-page spread portraying the hero's awakening. Like his great-grandmother Grandma Moses, the artist paints in a folk art style that may appeal to adults more than to children. Recommended for collections needing illustrated versions of the tale. (Reviewed November 1, 1999)