Jacob and the Seven Thieves ( born Yakov and the Seven Thieves ) is the third book for children written by Madonna [1] .
| Jacob and the Seven Rogues | |
|---|---|
| Yakov and the Seven Thieves | |
 | |
| Author | Madonna |
| Genre | Children's literature , picture book |
| Original language | English |
| Original issued | June 2004 |
| Translator | Leonid Yakhnin |
| Registration | Gennady Spirin |
| Series | Five Books for Children (even grown-up ones) |
| Publisher | Callaway, Eksmo |
| Release | 3 |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 978-0670058877 |
| Previous | Mr. Peabody's Apples |
| The next | Abdi Adventures |
Content
Story
| “My prayer reached the gates of Paradise, but they were closed,” said the sage. “I'm sorry, but I can't save your son.” |
Jacob, a good shoemaker, and his wife, Olga, are heartbroken because their son Michael is seriously ill. They ask for advice from the wise old man Paul. Tom has to rely on the help of seven thieves and prove that a miracle can happen thanks to the sincere prayer of outside sinners.
Illustrations
Illustrations made by Russian artist Gennady Spirin , known for his work on the book by Maria Konopnitskaya “On Orphan Mary and the Dwarfs” (1983), as well as the book “ Black Chicken, or Underground People ” [2] . The author’s style of this master, who designed 33 children's books, seemed to Madonna and the publisher ideal for conveying the special atmosphere of a small town in Eastern Europe of the 18th century, where the events described in the book take place. According to Gennady Spirin, this tale teaches both children and adults, “above all, compassion” [3] .
Translations
The book "Jacob and Seven Thieves" was released in 38 languages in more than 110 countries around the world. The world premiere of the book took place on June 21, 2004, and on August 16, the birthday of Madonna, the book appeared in Russian stores [4] . The translation into Russian was done by Leonid Yakhnin .
Reviews
The book was critically accepted with the United States because of the edifying narrative and the grim plot associated with death. The mention of Kabbalah and the illustration style unusual for Americans were also criticized [5] [6] .
| “To write this book I was inspired by the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov , the great sage of the XVIII century, who devoted his life to preaching love and virtue. This is the story that each of us always has the opportunity to reach Heaven, even despite the sins and bad deeds that we sometimes commit. One has only to overcome oneself, to rise above one's shortcomings, how miracles will begin to happen in our life and in the lives of other people. We should not forget that good always triumphs over evil and hides behind a shining sun behind the most darkness [7] ! |
At the moment, the book has an average good rating of 3.6 out of 5 points on the English-speaking portal Goodreads [8] .
In Russia, the author of the magazine Rolling Stone, Leonid Aleksandrovsky, negatively assessed the religious quest of Madonna, comparing the musician with Aleister Crowley . Cooperation, which attracted world attention to the illustrations of Russian artist Gennady Spirin, the journalist described with the words:
| As for the books, so again Gd is her judge. She and Gennady Spirin, an illustrator of Madonna’s fairy tales, who was born in Russia, was inspired by the colorful figurization of the Kabbalistic book N3 [9] . |
Audiobook
On October 13, 2005, the first 5 books of the series in English became available available in the form of an audiobook on CD entitled Madonna 5 Book: Madonna 5 Audio Books for Children ( Callaway Audio label) [10] . The author reads [11] .
See also
- Madonna Bibliography
Notes
- Akov Yakov and the Seven Thieves illustrator interview . The official site of Madonna madonna.com .
- ↑ Books (English) . The official site of Gennady Spirin gennadyspirin.com.
- ↑ Socialist nonsense - in life . Online publication "Philistine" (September 1, 2008). The appeal date is August 5, 2015.
- ↑ A new fairy tale "Jacob and the Seven Rogues" on the shelves of Russia . News portal RussianAmerica.com . The appeal date is August 5, 2015.
- ↑ There's too much Madonna in preachy 'Seven Thieves' (eng.) . USA Today (June 21, 2004). The appeal date is August 5, 2015.
- ↑ YAKOV AND THE SEVEN THIEVES Unc . Publisher Weekly .
- ↑ Jacob and the Seven Rogues . Madonna is a children's writer at madonnaforkids.ru . The appeal date is August 8, 2015.
- Akov Yakov and the Seven Thieves (Five Books for Children # 3) . Goodreads (January 1, 2004). The appeal date is August 6, 2015.
- ↑ Madonna. Divine Comedy . Reprint of Rolling Stone by the publication of rock.samaratoday.ru (June 1, 2004). The appeal date is August 8, 2015. Archived August 26, 2017.
- ↑ Madonna 5 Book: Madonna 5 Audio Books for Children (Eng.) . Audible.com . The appeal date is August 6, 2015.
- ↑ MADONNA - Yakov And The Seven Thieves (Book Reading) Additional source - on YouTube