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Arthur Ransome
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The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: A Russian Tale Paperback – May 1, 1987

by Arthur Ransome (Author), Uri Shulevitz (Illustrator)
4.8 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
When the Czar proclaims that he will marry his daughter to the man who brings him a flying ship, the Fool of the World sets out to try his luck and meets some unusual companions on the way.
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  1. Reading age
    4 - 10 years
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 4
  5. Lexile measure
    360L
  6. Dimensions
    10.25 x 0.11 x 9 inches
  7. Publisher
    Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
  8. Publication date
    May 1, 1987
  9. ISBN-10
    0374424381
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0374424381
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightful picture-book version of the Russian folktale about the simple third son who, through the magical powers of the Listener, Swift-goer, Drinker, and others, performs the tasks set by the Czar and wins the princess. The handsome illustrations which fill the pages with animation and gleaming colors have a folk character and Russian flavor." --Starred, Booklist

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 1987
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374424381
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374424381
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 10 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.25 x 0.11 x 9 inches
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 4
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 360L
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

About the author

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Arthur Ransome

Arthur Ransome

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Arthur Ransome was born in Leeds in 1884 and went to school at Rugby. He was in Russia in 1917, and witnessed the Revolution, which he reported for the Manchester Guardian.

After escaping to Scandinavia, he settled in the Lake District with his Russian wife where, in 1929, he wrote Swallows and Amazons. And so began a writing career which has produced some of the real children's treasures of all time. In 1936 he won the first ever Carnegie Medal for his book, Pigeon Post.

Ransome died in 1967. He and his wife Evgenia lie buried in the churchyard of St Paul's Church, Rusland, in the southern Lake District.

Photography (c) Arthur Ransome's Literary Executors & courtesy of the Brotherton Collection, Leeds University Library

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
39 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Martha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect condition
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2019
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Perfect condition
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  • A Barrow
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great uplifting story
    Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Loved the book as a kid. Teaches the importance of treating others with respect and with kindness without any expectation of a returned favor.
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  • ahiloki
    5.0 out of 5 stars A real keeper.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2013
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Wonderful retelling of classic Russian folk tale. Illustrations are perfect for sharing the story with children. This is a classic for all generations.
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  • John and Lori
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
    Format: Hardcover
    Colorful, beautifully illustrated. Fun story. Great seller!
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  • Kirara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Russian Folktale about determination and friendship.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2008
    Format: Hardcover
    "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" has remained to be one of the greatest Russian folktales ever told and has spawn many popular movies such as "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen." This story is written by Arthur Ransome along with illustrations by Uri Shulevitz and is an instant treat!

    The story starts out with a peasant fool whose older brothers are more favored by his parents than him. One day, the Czar of Russia proclaims that whoever builds a flying ship will marry his daughter, the princess. The two older brothers start on their way as their parents give them delicious food and lavish clothes. When the fool spots all this, he begs for his parents' permission too, but his parents only scoff at him and only give him bread and water. The fool meets a strange old man along the way and they end up having beautiful feast together. Then, the old man tells the fool to follow some instructions in building a flying ship. The fool follows these instructions and has a flying ship in no time. As the fool sails in his ship, he meets a listener, a runner, a sharpshooter, a drinker, an eater, a hay-carrier, and a brushwood carrier. They head to the Czar's palace and the Czar is none too pleased about the guests, so he sets them impossible tasks to do.

    This book has simplistic yet clear drawings and an imaginative style of storytelling that should be a favorite among children and paves way for other cult classics. Also, check out the Rabbit Ears' version narrated by Robin Williams. It is hilarious and creative.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Donald Mitchell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous Tale of Magic and Faith with Great Illustrations
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2001
    Format: Paperback
    The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship won the Caldecott Medal in 1969 as the best illustrated American children's book in that year. The illustrations feature bright colors, subtle shadings, and stylistically interesting pen highlights to suggest outlines and details. The illustrations take you enjoyably into a magical world for a fascinating journey, and greatly add to the pleasure of this traditional Russian tale. The story is build around the theme of: "You see how God loves simple folk."
    A family has three sons, two who are clever and one who is foolish. "He was as simple as a child, simpler than some children, and he never did anyone a harm in his life." The parents were proud of their clever sons and disappointed in their foolish one. When the news comes that the Czar wants a flying ship, the parents support the efforts of the two clever sons. They set off and are never heard from again. When the foolish son sets off, he gets the the minimum of support and encouragement.
    He soon runs into "an ancient old man with a bent back, and a long beard, and eyes hidden under his bushy eyebrows." The foolish son offers to share his meager food, apologizing to the ancient man. But when he opens his bag, marvelous food appears instead. The ancient man has magical powers and teaches the foolish son how to make a flying ship for the Czar. The ancient man also advises the foolish son to take along everyone he meets on his trip to the Czar's palace to deliver the flying ship.
    Along the way, the foolish son meets a most unusual set of people with great individualized talents. As you read the book, you will be wondering what their significance could possibly be. They turn out to be a sort of 19th century X-Men.
    The promised reward for bringing the flying ship had been the hand of the Czar's daughter in marriage and a rich dowry. When the foolish son arrives, the Czar's men report that those in the ship are only a bunch of uncouth peasants. As a result, the Czar doesn't want to make good on his promise, so he sets up extreme challenges (not unlike the Wizard of Oz). Using the remarkable talents of his passengers, all of the tests are met by the foolish son.
    The foolish son is married to the Czar's daughter, and they live happily ever after. The foolish son then "became so clever that all the court repeated everything he said."
    As you can see, the story is also a satire on the people who think they are clever or know how to identify cleverness. They often outsmart themselves. The Czar wanted a flying ship, but would have been much better off making good use of the talents of the peasants who were already part of his kingdom. Also, we are never told what use he made of the flying ship. It appears that he gave his daughter away for a whim. The winning man might as easily have been a terrible person. The courtiers also thought that anyone who was powerful was clever. I laughed aloud several times while reading the story.
    Unlike most children's stories for this age group (4-8), this book has a richness of plot, character development, and humor that makes it more like a novel.
    After you have finished enjoying the story with your child, I suggest that the two of you have some fun talking about places where "clever" people act foolishly and vice versa. You can help your child see the bright side of much of the nonsense that goes on around us.
    Be foolish in providing and seeking out help, and a great bounty of friendship will be yours!
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Oddsfish
    5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Picture Book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2001
    Format: Hardcover
    The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome with illustrations by Uri Shulevitz is easily my favorite picture book. Everything is perfect about the book. First of all the pictures are marvelous. All of Shulevitz's books have good pictures, but this might be his best. The pictures jump off the page with their color and with the humor portrayed in them. The story is, of course, the best part of the book. The story is hilarious with marvelously interesting characters. It also has some good morals like "God loves simple folk." I work in a library, and adults and kids all love this book. I have also seen the book performed for children, and it proved to be excellent for reading aloud. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is an amazing picture book and deseves is Caldecott Medal and its classic status.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars could be even better
    Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2003
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The story is great, if a little predictable. The young fool sets off to find a flying ship and thereby win the princess. A magical old man helps him find the ship, then the fool picks up a bunch of people on the way to the czar's palace, all of whom have these weird special talents. Once at the palace, the czar doesn't want to hand over his daughter and sets before the fool a number of tasks, which amusingly, but somewhat predictably line up with the special skills of each of the people he picked up along the way.
    The illustrations leave a lot to be desired. Although they are fun, detailed and colorful, they miss many chances to illustrate the story more dramatically. This is surprising given that the illustrator claims in his bio to be a filmmaker in addition to a children's book author. His illustrations need some close-ups and more interesting angles!
    Still, I would recommend this book, it is a wonderful example of a Russian folk tale. In the hands of another author and illustrator, it could be even better!
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dollybird
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fine little book.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I know this story from the Cosgrove Hall animation (which is fab!), so decided to buy the book for my children to acquaint them with the tale, as theyre a bit young for the dvd yet, but I was rather disappointed with this book. The illustrations are quaint but sparse/lack-lustre, especially given the vibrant scope of the story and they definately dont inspire imaginative engagement with the text for any age group. However the company that sold the book dispatched it in good time and it was in the condition described (which was fine for the cheap price). Regarding a recommendation, Id say purchase/watch the DVD instead!!!
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