« Le Roi grenouille » en tant que «crossover»

Abstract

“The Frog King” is what English-speaking critics refer to as a “crossover text”, which is a text addressed to both adults and children. If this unsettling, indeed upsetting, tale is often abridged, bowdlerized, or rewritten before being offered to children, an increasing number of illustrators offer an unsanitized version in books intended for a mixed audience of both children and adults. Maurice Sendak, who has never ceased to question the boundary between adult literature and children’s literature, included “The Frog King” in his collection of the Grimm’s tales published in 1973. The author of this article examines the visual interpretations of “The Frog King” created by illustrators from various countries who, like Sendak, believe that this tale belongs to all ages.
Key Words: “The Frog Kingˮ, fairy tale, crossover, dual audience, illustration.