Heidi

September 2, 1996
This truncated retelling of orphan Heidi's simple life in the Swiss Alps and her sojourn in the big city seems almost as indebted to the Shirley Temple film as to Johanna Spyri's 1880 novel. Krupinski's (A New England Scrapbook) heroine mimics Temple, curls, button nose and all, though she lacks the actress's expressive smile and gestures. Similarly blank-faced characters contrast with Krupinski's serene, lushly idealized landscape paintings: the people seem like wax dolls, but the glowing blankets of flowers make the Alps heaven on earth. The text emphasizes the sensual joys of fresh goat's milk, fir trees "with their piney scent," Heidi's sweet-smelling bed in her grandfather's hay loft, etc., but that is its only demonstrable strength. Both Heidi's relationship with her grandfather and the idealized subplot about wheelchair-bound Klara's learning to walk are woodenly described; little space is given to dialogue and even less to Heidi's emotions. The plot, too, is severely condensed: "Many more good things happened after that day." The book succeeds as a portrayal of the joys of mountain life, but otherwise fails to do justice to Spyri's story of a girl's courage and persistence. Ages 5-9.

October 13, 2003
Spyri's classic tale of an orphaned girl sent to live with her gruff, hermit-like grandfather in the Swiss Alps gets some spring in its step via British actress Gallagher's bright interpretation. Sweet, inquisitive Heidi doesn't take long to begin chipping away at her grandfather's grumpy exterior and melting his heart. She also makes fast friends with Peter the goatherd and his family, all of which helps her adjust—and grow to adore—her new rural life. But an unexpected summons back to the city she left behind threatens to ruin everything. Fans already know the happy ending, which never seems to grow stale. Like so many of the best audiobook narrators, Gallagher excels at distinguishing her roster of character voices, young, old, male, female. Classical music selections sprinkled in and around the track changes and breaks in the text include "Scandinavian Festival" by Grieg, "Slavonic Dances" by Dvorak and a selection of Norwegian violin pieces—all helping to set a bucolic scene. Ages 8-up.

January 1, 2012
These abridged editions retain some of the flavor of the original books while removing dialects and unfamiliar words; many of the details and vibrancy that make these works classics are lost. With these glorified plot summaries, young readers may not seek out the originals (almost within their grasp in the case of Anne and Heidi). The black-and-white illustrations are also bland.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)