Book Review: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Illustrated): A Tale from the Arabian Nights by Albert Seligman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having recently read the Scheherazade story and art collection Albert Seligman put together, I knew that Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves would be a treat. And it was! I grew up with various watered-down versions of the Ali Baba story, mostly in cartoon form. I had no idea how much of the story I’d missed until reading it in this form.

Edward Lane’s version, translated in the mid 1800s, is the text of the story used here. It’s accompanied by a rich array of illustrations by over sixty notable artists from the Golden Age of Illustration (1880-1930), selected and arranged by Albert Seligman. This is artwork gracing each and every page of the story. The vibrance the art adds to the storytelling is absolutely wonderful.

I love that the art forms such an eclectic collection. You’ll find everything from intricately detailed black and white sketches to full-blown richly colored watercolors, each one presented at their best. The color artwork has been reproduced with great care. Many of the colors used are simply breathtaking – for me, the blues are what mesmerized me the most. There’s a couple of watercolors that have such rich, intense shades of blue they practically leap right out of the book! I keep returning to those to soak up their beauty one more time.

Collectors and art historians will want this volume for their libraries. Fans of good storytelling will want it to enjoy a grand adventure. It’s a book that can satisfy everyone on their own levels. It’s also part of a series, so be sure to consider the rest of these sumptuous adventures that will satisfy both your mind and your eyes.