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البلبل

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Once upon a time . . . Those words conjure up the aura of timeless children's stories, the kind of tales told in our comprehensive line of Children's Classics. Accompanied with exquisite illustrations specially commissioned for this line, each book is a hardcover, elegant little treasure with a deluxe four-color bronzed jacket. At $6.95, they are an affordable answer for first-class gift giving and collecting. And to make them even more attractive to your customers, we offer a variety of assortment and display options.

47 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1970

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385 people want to read

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5 stars
253 (33%)
4 stars
220 (29%)
3 stars
208 (27%)
2 stars
61 (8%)
1 star
16 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
Profile Image for Chelsey with a y.
368 reviews113 followers
March 8, 2018
I enjoyed this fairy tale. I’d never read it before. I love how the nightingale comes back in the end and doesn’t want a reward for doing something it loves and brings joy to it
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,636 reviews240 followers
January 29, 2019
The Nightingale, illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert.

Like , or (with which it was originally published in 1843), The Nightingale is one of Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy-tales, relating the story of the Emperor of China, who learns to value natural beauty above mechanized dazzle. Discovering that foreign visitors consider the humble nightingale - whose song he has never heard - the greatest treasure of his kingdom, the Emperor demands a performance. Enchanted at first with the bird's beautiful song, he soon finds a new favorite in a jewel-encrusted copy of the nightingale, sent to him by the Emperor of Japan. Which is superior: the flesh-and-blood bird, whose songs are beautiful but irregular, or the beautiful machine, whose one song is always perfect?

Interpreted in a number of different ways over the years, The Nightingale has, for me, always been most meaningful as an exploration of the idea that many of the things truly worth having - beauty, authenticity, truth - are not the sort of things that can be caged and put on display. This picture-book retelling, with an immensely readable text - translated by actress Eva La Gallienne - and gorgeous watercolor artwork by Nancy Ekholm Burkert, who also illustrated Andersen's , is one of my favorites! I would say that it's just about tied with Bagram Ibatoulline's version as the best one out there.
683 reviews74 followers
September 27, 2020
Ja nüüd ma mäletan, miks mulle muinasjutud meeldisid. Miks muinasjutud vallutavad laste südameid.
Nii imekaunis lugu ilust, mida ei saa vangistada. Ilu, mis on vaba ja saabki eksiteerida vaid vabana. Kummalisel kombel on Andersen suutnud jäädvustada ka tänapäeva maailma sagedast nähtust, kus tehnoloogia üritab imiteerida kõike, aga võrreldes päris eluga, siis alati jääb miski puudu.
Profile Image for Sara.
1,641 reviews492 followers
January 4, 2025
داستان چهارم از هم‌خوان� آثار هانس کریستین اندرسن
بله هنری که بتونه جان ببخشه باید از آزادی بیاد و نمیتونی چیز مصنوعی و غیر آزاد بسازی و توقع داشته باشی انتقال حس بده، هرچقدر هم تکنیکی و در اوج ظرافت باشه. شاید یه جورایی می‌خواست� بگه نویسنده ها رو مجبور نکنین چیزای خاصی بنویسن، هرچقدر نویسنده خوب باشه، وقتی تو نوشتن آزاد نباشه، داستانش تاثیری که باید رو نمی‌ذار�.
دی ۱۴۰۳
Profile Image for Stacy.
1,003 reviews90 followers
October 17, 2016
Wonderful story with a good moral for children about how all that glitters is not gold. I enjoy this much myself.
Profile Image for Jane.
2,682 reviews61 followers
February 28, 2018
Have you ever thought how challenging it must be to match a drawing to a text? Take a look at Nancy Burkert's Nightingale if you want to see a master at work.Gorgeous!
Profile Image for Behi.
70 reviews9 followers
September 9, 2022
How could someone come up with such bullshits?
Profile Image for Afaf Ammar.
985 reviews588 followers
November 14, 2024
"فإني أحب قلبك أكثر مما أحب تاجك"

حكاية جميلة عن العندليب الذي جعل دموع إمبراطور الصين تنحدر على خديه بتغريده العذب 🧡

8 November 2024
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,636 reviews240 followers
January 29, 2019
The Nightingale, illustrated by Beni Montresor.

Italian artist Beni Montresor, who was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1965 for Beatrice Schenk de Regniers' , turns his attention to Hans Christian Andersen in this picture-book retelling of The Nightingale. The story of the Emperor of China, who discovers the beauty to be found in nature - as embodied by the humble brown nightingale - it has been retold many times and interpreted by many artists.

This version of the tale is translated and adapted by Alan Benjamin, whose narrative is competent, but rather stiff and unexciting. Montresor's illustrations, which remind me a bit of work, have a somewhat dated sensibility, and are not particularly appealing. Although ostensibly set in China, they sometimes felt very Western to me, which seems an odd criticism to level against artwork meant to accompany a European man's Chinese fantasy. Still, the story is set in China, and I would like the illustrations to convince me that that is where we are. and do a much better job in this respect, as do their respective translators, and I think most Andersen fans will gain more from looking at those editions, than from hunting down this out-of-print selection.
Profile Image for Sahar.
172 reviews226 followers
November 6, 2016
كانت القصة تسير بشكل جيد إلى أن جاء ذكر ملك الموت فأسماه شبح! وتم رسمه كأنه شيطان بذيل وقرون!! أعلم أن القصة مترجمة لكنها الآن بحروف عربية ومقدمة للطفل العربي وبالتالي يجب تنقيحها بما يتناسب مع دينه وثقافته، خاصة وأنهم لم ينوهوا في أي موضع أنها مترجمة
Profile Image for lydia.
9 reviews5 followers
June 20, 2021
,,Mein Gott, wie ist das schön!''
Profile Image for Monique.
165 reviews5 followers
April 18, 2023
“I have seen the tears in the Emperor’s eyes � can any reward be greater than that?�
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,636 reviews240 followers
January 25, 2019
The Nightingale, illustrated by Demi.

Demi fans will be pleased by this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale, which features her trademark artwork, with its rich palette and immensely detailed scenes. As always, there are many little whimsical touches, from the purple cow the courtiers at first mistake for the nightingale, to the young children who gambol about in many of the scenes. The setting of the story, in China, is ideally suited to Demi's work, which is heavily influenced by Asian artistic traditions. In fact, a detailed afterword gives more information on the creation of the paintings, done on Wu silk.

Unfortunately, although the artwork is lovely, and will be enjoyed by those who enjoy Demi's style (I do myself, although I find that a little goes a long way), the narrative leaves a little bit to be desired. It didn't flow as well as some other versions I have read, and I was dismayed to see that the scene in which the Emperor confronts death has been sanitized, leaving out the actual character of Death altogether. An adequate, but uninspiring narrative, when compared to the excellent versions of or . Unless they are specifically looking for the Demi illustrations, I would advise readers to find one of these other editions.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,636 reviews240 followers
January 25, 2019
The Nightingale, illustrated by Mary J. Newill.

Originally published by D.B. Updike at the Merrymount Press in 1895, and then reprinted in this edition by R.H. Russell in 1898, this nineteenth-century retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale features the translation of H.W. Dulcken, and the gorgeous engraving-style illustrations of Mary J. Newill.

A student at the , and a participant in the late nineteenth, and early twentieth-century , Newill was a well-known illustrator, stained glass designer, and embroiderer. Her landscape work was considered particularly fine, and won praise from figures such as Walter Crane.

The five plates contained in The Nightingale are simply beautiful: detailed, bold, compelling. Judged on artwork alone, this outstanding little gem of a book merits a five-star rating. Unfortunately, Dulcken's stiff, archaic-sounding translation - so very Victorian in style - detracted somewhat from my enjoyment. Still, Newill's illustrations are the real appeal here, and they do not disappoint. If they ever do publish a retrospective of her work, I'll be first on line to buy it!
Profile Image for Annie.
28 reviews6 followers
January 17, 2014
Amazing book and story; illustrations in this particular one are outstanding. A must read for any child :)
Profile Image for Amelia Bujar.
1,526 reviews1 follower
July 14, 2024
FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE


This one was really not for me. Maybe reading children stories as an adult isn’t the best thing to do for some people.

I personally found this story to be very boring and uninteresting. I really had hard time reading it because I just couldn’t get into the story.

The story is pretty quick read, but that’s the only good thing about this story for me personally.

The writing style in this one was very generic which every fairytale has.
Profile Image for Ashley Dow.
69 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2024
“The Nightingale� has truly captivated me. The story's exploration of natural beauty versus artificial beauty is profoundly relevant to our times. The way it contrasts the simple, authentic charm of the nightingale with the superficial allure of the mechanical bird resonates deeply. I can't stop thinking about the powerful message embedded in the tale. It’s a beautiful reminder of the value of genuine beauty in a world that often leans towards the artificial. The fairytale is not only enchanting but also incredibly thought-provoking, making it a memorable read that will stay with me for a long time. 🕊�
Profile Image for Jill.
157 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2025
Technically I read this story out of Lang's The Yellow Fairy Book. I was unfamiliar with this one. It was a nice story!
Profile Image for Marsha.
Author2 books38 followers
August 28, 2019
This gorgeously illustrated children’s book presents an ancient pastoral China, one of soaring pagodas set firmly within nature in the form of lush gardens, plentiful trees and gently flowing streams. Whether in the kitchen or the imperial court, we also find animals. Within this sumptuous bucolic setting, the titular avian goes almost unnoticed. With her deceptively drab brown coloring, you can understand how almost everyone, including the Emperor of China, misses her completely.

The familiar story is one of royalty that is saved by one of its humblest citizens, a popular moral that dates back centuries (think Aesop’s “The Lion and the Mouse� fable) and prizing solid character over empty glitz, as symbolized by the gaudy, bejeweled toy nightingale sent by the Emperor of Japan. The illustrations are truly lovely, with color and action aptly displayed on every page (the plainly clad kitchen girl is shown laboring in the kitchens, surrounded by dishes, pots, kettles, hanging food, etc.; the royal clockmaker is surrounded by various timepieces as he works on the broken toy bird).

This book is a jeweled treasure, a wondrous addition to a child’s growing library, from one of the most famous storytellers who ever lived.
Profile Image for Jillian.
2,067 reviews100 followers
March 15, 2018
I’m familiar with Hans Christian Andersen because of The Little Mermaid, and I remember reading his version and being incredibly bummed out. I imagine Andersen to be a live-action Eeyore, which is why I was surprised by how lively and beautiful The Nightingale is. There is a sad wistful to the story, but that is to be expected with Andersen.

The Nightingale is incredibly readable, especially for young children, but Andersen is still smart about the writing. It’s really tightly and cleverly written. I particularly enjoy how he points out how ridiculous the king and his court are without being mean about it. When the courtier is following the little girl, he has no sense of what a nightingale would sound like. I really like the entire arch of the story. Definitely a great short story by Andersen. I would love to see an illustrated version of this. I’m sure there’s great potential for beautiful artwork.
Profile Image for Vinicius Sarralheiro.
64 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2018
Um pequeno achado durante o passeio pela Flipinha 2018.
As ilustrações desse livro são de uma fofura que já valem por si só!

Quando eu fazia teatro, na adolescência, fiz uma peça chamada "O Pequeno Imperador" também baseada neste mesmo conto. Que lembranças boas!
Profile Image for Miku.
1,506 reviews21 followers
February 24, 2021
Krótka, ale ciekawa baśń o cesarzu oraz słowiku. Cesarz zauroczył się w śpiewie ptaka i chciał mieć ten piękny śpiew na wyłączność. Jednak piękna nie da się zawłaszczyć i zawsze znajdzie ujście ze złotej klatki. Finału tej historii nie zdradzam - trzeba samemu sprawdzić.
Profile Image for أحمد أسامة.
228 reviews75 followers
May 8, 2013
اتكعبلت فيها وانا بلف فى الموقع :)

فكرتنى باوائل قرائاتى ومجموعة قصص الاطفال وقصص الانبياء للاطفال
هييييه ايام :D
Profile Image for Bouchra Idlhadj.
145 reviews97 followers
January 13, 2020
قصة قصيرة بلغة سهلة وبسيطة إلا أنها مليئة بالحكم والعبر ..من أجمل قصص الأطفال التي قرأتها 🙂
Profile Image for تشرين˥️.
169 reviews7 followers
October 6, 2021
اللغة والأسلوب! يا رباه على هذا الجمال، ليت كل كتب الأطفال بهذه الفصاحة والبلاغة والجزالة في الألفاظ
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews

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