This is the story of Rip Van Winkle--that curious fellow, who with his dog, Wolf, ran away from a hard day's work to the Catskill Mountains only to discover in a forgotten valley a strange band of revelers who gave him a drink so powerful he slept for twenty years! His tale still haunts the Hudson River Valley. Indeed, the revelers' bowling pins can be heard in the thunder of the place to this very day. Here is an unforgettable retelling by Will Moses , an artist of the upper Hudson River, who knows the valley, knows the man Van Winkle, and brings Washington Irving's classic tale stunningly to life with breathtaking landscapes and his unmistakable folk style. Grade 2-5-A trip into the past to see mystifying events that occurred over 200 years ago in New York's Catskill Mountains. Occasional rumbling rolls of thunder cause one to wonder if just maybe-it all happened. Readers will be caught up in the remarkably fresh retelling of Irving's classic tale. Moses's text, while respecting the tone of the original, has a remarkable storytelling quality, highlighted by a crispness of phrase, appropriateness of the description, and clever modernizing of the language. However, what makes this edition so exciting is the joyous collection of folk-style paintings, each reflecting the artist's love of color, simplicity of character interpretation, attention to detail, and interest in history. A new generation of readers will chuckle over and rejoice in Rip's adventures in this lively visual feast. Ronald Jobe, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. 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. Carolyn Phelan Painting is as much a part of the Moses family tradition as the family homestead in Eagle Bridge, New York. There Will Moses has painted since he was a little boy, learning firsthand from his grandfather, folk artist Forrest Moses, who learned from his mother, Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses. Developing his own folk style, Will has become an internationally beloved artist in his own right, his art displayed in collections throughout the world, including that of the White House. His first picture book, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow , a retelling of Washington Irving's famous tale, was published by Philomel in 1995. Will Moses' studio is at the Mount Nebo Gallery and Farm in Eagle Bridge, where he lives with his wife, Sharon, and their three children.