Bearskin

Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was a celebrated artist, author, and teacher — and a primary figure in the history of children’s literature. Not only did he guide and inspire such artistic talents as N. C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, and Jessie Willcox Smith, but he was also a master storyteller in his own right. Pyle is also the author and illustrator of Otto and The Silver Hand.

Reviews

Howard Pyle is best known as the writer of The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, a book that’s widely considered to be the definitive compilation of the Robin Hood ballads into a cohesive whole. Though that’s his most famous work, he also wrote two anthologies of fairy tales: Pepper & Salt and The Wonder Clock. This adaptation of “Bearskin” is from the latter collection, and Pyle’s love of fairytales and legends is apparent, for it reads like a composite tale of several other familiar stories.  All in all, this is a rather strange story, with even stranger illustrations (in regards to style) but together Pyle’s lyrical prose and Hyman’s whimsical pictures somehow make it work. – R.M. Fisher