Art by Dermot Flynn
A new edition of Brian Jacques’ Redwall was issued in the United Kingdom and Canada this past June by the Random House imprint Vintage. Part of their Vintage Children’s Classics line, the book boasts new cover artwork (right) by artist Dermot Flynn and new black & white interior illustrations by artist Rachael Hare (below).
The edition includes an appendix entitled “Redwall: The Backstory” which consists of:
- A three-page who’s who of characters in the book
- A ten-question quiz
- A two page biography of Brian Jacques
- A one-page assignment for readers to create their own tapestry, including a link to the Bayeux Tapestry for inspiration
- A two-page recipe for baked apples (not pudding, as the back cover suggests) that was not featured in The Redwall Cookbook
- A two-page glossary of terms and sayings including “basilisk stare,” “bilked,” “halloo,” and “poleaxing” (among others)
Due to the use of a larger typeface than past editions, the book is quite thick and clocks in at 542 pages, not counting the appendix.
Chapter 2 illustration by Rachael Hare
The Vintage Children’s Classics line is a list of classic books envisioned for the 21st century targeting young readers aged 8-12. Other entries in the line include Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Extraordinary Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. The full list of (currently) 58 books can be viewed at Random House’s website. The Redwall Newsline is thrilled that Brian’s work has been recognized in this way, as Redwall truly is a classic in every sense of the word.
Given the nature of the line, which emphasizes a broad list of children’s classics, The Redwall Newsline does not expect other books in The Redwall Series to be given the same treatment, although a case could obviously be made for Mossflower.
The Vintage Children’s Classic edition of Redwall is on store shelves in the U.K. and Canada and retails for £6.99 and $12.99 respectively.
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