"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Gris Grimly

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Bibliographic Citation

Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Author/Illustrator: Gris Grimly

Year of Publication: 2007

Publisher City: New York

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9781416906254

Author/Illustrator Website: http://www.madcreator.com/

Media Used for Artwork: Watercolor, Ink

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Annotation

This graphic novel is an adaption of the story by Washington Irving that tells the story of the small town of Sleepy Hollow, the schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, and his terrifying meeting with the town’s ghost the Headless Horseman.

Personal Reaction

                This story is a particular favorite of mine because it is one of America’s best known folk tales.  It is a story I always like to read when Halloween draws near, as well as watch the Tim Burton adaption and the Disney cartoon as well.  This graphic novel adaption will be added to my yearly Halloween read-a-thon.

Grimly does a wonderful job of keeping the original text by Irving but still condensing it down, keeping the story authentic for fans while making it a good introduction for soon to be fans.  The vocabulary used in the text will be good for older readers who are currently working to improve their own vocabulary.

The illustrations are toned in yellows and oranges which provides an aged quality, giving a nod to Irving’s original story.  The macabre quality to the illustrations mixes well with the humor.  A reader cannot help but at one moment laugh at the lanky Ichabod Crane while the next moment jump seeing the shadowy figure of the headless Hessian.