The Tale of the Golden Cockerel: A Verse Retelling of Alexander Pushkin’s Fairy Tale (Pushkin’s Fairy Tales Reimagined)
About
What if a classic Alexander Pushkin fairy tale didn’t feel like homework, but like a dark, musical bedtime story?The Tale of the Golden Cockerel is a bilingual Russian–English picture book in verse that reimagines Pushkin’s famous story for modern readers while keeping its sharp, fairy-tale edge.An aging king is tired of war and afraid of tomorrow. A mysterious star-gazer gives him a magical golden cockerel to guard his borders and warn of danger. The bird cries, the king’s sons ride out with the army and never return… and instead of an invading enemy, the king finds a dazzling queen who makes him forget grief, fear, and even his own promises.When the wise man comes back to claim his reward, the king’s anger breaks the fragile balance—and the Golden Cockerel delivers a final, unforgiving answer.This edition is a poetic retelling, not a literal, line-by-line translation. The goal is to keep the heart, rhythm and imagery of Pushkin’s tale while giving it natural, musical English that works for reading aloud.Inside this book, you’ll find:– A complete English verse retelling of The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, written for today’s readers while echoing the tone of the original.– The full original Russian text for readers who want to enjoy Pushkin in both languages or compare the versions.– A bilingual layout that makes it easy to move between Russian and English.– Full-colour illustrations that match the mood of the story without overwhelming the text.– A link/QR code to the full English audio, so you can listen and read along.– A gentle glossary to help young readers explore new words without turning the story into homework.Perfect for middle grade readers (around ages 8–12), families who enjoy reading aloud, and anyone curious about Russian folklore, this book is part of the series Pushkin’s Fairy Tales Reimagined, alongside The Tale of the Fisherman and the Golden Fish.If you like classic tales with a darker twist, bilingual editions, and stories where broken promises really have consequences, this Golden Cockerel will feel right at home on your shelf.