Picture Book Roundup - Una princesa, bears with cares, and a wolf who despairs

Picture Book Roundup - Una princesa, bears with cares, and a wolf who despairs

It's been a while since I've done a picture book roundup.  Here are a few newly or soon-to-be-published favorites. 

La Princesa and the Pea
by Susan Middleton Elya
Ill. by Juana Martinez-Neal
Penguin Young Readers, 2017


The highly successful duo of Susan Middleton Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal (La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Niños) has teamed up again for another re-working of a classic children's story.  In La Princesa and the Pea, Martinez-Neal uses acrylics, colored pencils and graphite on handmade paper to create Peruvian-inspired illustrations that burst with expression and humor, yet have an air of gentle softness and beauty.  It's a fine mix.  The rhyming text is sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases highlighted in red text.  A group of "strong workers," (which includes a girl and two small kids! 😃) stacks veinte mattresses while the queen munches  from her box of bombones.

The queen ate her treats.  The bed was stacked high, and right when they finished, la niña came by.

"Here is your cama, a place you can sleep."
"Thanks!" said the girl. "I won't even count sheep."

 It would be a wonderful story even without the surprise ending! Great bilingual fun with many humorous illustrated details to find.

A Glossary and A Note from the Illustrator are included.  Helpfully, the Glossary appears in the front!

Full disclosure: This was my favorite fairytale as a child.

The Curious Cares of Bears
by Douglas Florian
Ill. by Sonia Sánchez
Little Bee Books, 2017

I've long been a fan of Douglas Florian.  His books are poetic and nature-inspired.  His books on the four seasons (Autumblings, Winter Eyes, Summersaults, Handsprings) are favorites of mine, as is Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars.

The Curious Cares of Bears is a fanciful look at a year in the lives of bears.  Each double-spread illustration contains a short, rhyming explanation of the season's activity.

Some, like the one above, are mostly accurate (although I'm not sure a full-sized bear would venture out on the comically thin branch!).  Other activities are pure fancy,

In autumn there's playing in leaves all day long,
then building a campfire and sharing a song.

The illustrations are mixed media that appear to be a combination of charcoal sketches, simple brushwork, and digital enhancements.  The bears and their environs are portrayed simply with a measure of whimsy, and a reverence for nature. The combination of crafted rhyming and delightfully simple illustrations is beary likeable.

When a Wolf is Hungry
by Christine Naumann-Villemin
Ill. by Kris Di Giacomo
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2017


A hungry wolf decides that he has a hankering for a rabbit,

Not just any ordinary cottontail, though. What he craved was a grain-fed, silky-haired rabbit, one with just a hint of sweetness.  A city bunny.

So with knife in paw, Edmond Bigsnout heads to the city to find his rabbit. As it turns out, the perfect rabbit lives on the 5th floor of an apartment building.  Every time that Edmond gets close to the apartment, a friendly neighbor appears and begs to borrow Edmond's instrument of death - knife, chainsaw, rope. The story is full of rich and language and dialogue,

"Delighted to meet you.  Oh, look, you have some rope! Any chance I could have it? This great big package is such a nuisance."
Drat!
"I suppose so," sighed the wolf.
The skunk was so pleased that he let out a little air.

Why do the neighbors need these items and where is Max Omatose, miniature rabbit?

A humorous ending will make everyone happy—perhaps there is something wonderful about living in a big city neighborhood. The double-spread illustrations in this generously-sized book are comically suspenseful.  Edmond rides a bicycle while wearing a black suit and bow tie. A middle-aged cow in a flowered dress and pearls eyes Edmond's pot hopefully.  A beautiful neighbor wolf, Miss Eyestopper, is straight out of film noir.

When a Wolf is Hungry is a perfect book for sharing with slightly older kids. I'd take this one on a school visit any day.



My review copies of La Princesa and the Pea and The Curious Cares of Bears were provided by the publishers at my request. My copy of When a Wolf is Hungry was obtained through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

Picture Book Roundup - August 2016

I haven't done a picture book roundup in a while. Here are a few favorites that passed my desk in August.  They're presented in the Riffle slideshow below.

Note:
Some of my reviews would not fit in their entirety in the slideshow.  You can find the full reviews on my LibraryThing or Riffle accounts.

Echo: A Novel - a review

If this is how the year is starting out, it's going to be a banner year for middle-grade books.  First, Gordon Korman's Masterminds (more on that fantastic new thriller another day) and now Echo: A Novel.

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2015. Echo: A Novel. New York: Scholastic.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of Echo from Scholastic and was intrigued that it was wrapped in musical notation paper and had a smartly-boxed Hohner Blues Band harmonica tied to it.


I was happy to see an apparently music-related book, and was somewhat surprised to find that Echo begins with a fairytale, "The Thirteenth Harmonica of Otto Messenger," a fairytale replete with abandoned princesses, a magical forest, a mean-spirited witch, and a prophecy,

"Your fate is not yet sealed.  Even in the darkest night, a star will shine, a bell will chime, a path will be revealed."

Though brief, I became enthralled with the tale and was surprised and taken aback when I reached Part One and found myself not in the fairytale forest, but in

Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, 1933, home to the world's oldest harmonica manufacturer.  I couldn't wait to find out what became of the abandoned princesses, but soon found myself wrapped up in the story of young Friedrich Schmidt, a German Jew during Hitler's ascendance to power.  This kind-hearted, young boy of a musical family was surely destined to be gathered up in the anti-Semitic wave sweeping through Germany. I became engrossed in Friedrich's story, anxiously hoping that things would work out for him and his family, and was again surprised when I reached Part Two and found myself in

Philadelphia, 1935, home of the then-famous Albert Hoxie and the Philadelphia Harmonica Band, and of the Bishop's Home for Friendless and Destitute Children, where I found myself in the company of piano-playing orphans, Mike and Frankie Flannery.  Their story was no less heart-wrenching than Friedrich's, and I found myself desperately rooting for the young boys when I suddenly arrived

in a migrant worker's community in Southern California, 1942, where young Ivy Maria Lopez was about to play her harmonica on the Colgate Family Hour radio show, but her excitement was short-lived.  I fell in with this hard-working, American family and hoped, along with Ivy, for her brother's safe return from the war.

Of course, there's more, but this is where I will leave off.

Pam Muñoz Ryan has written a positively masterful story that will take the reader from the realm of magic through the historical travails of the oppressed and the poor in the midst of the 20th century.  Through it all, music gathers the stories together in a symphony of hope and possibility.  In music, and in Echo, there is a magic that will fill your soul.

It may only be February, but I predict that praise for Echo will continue throughout the year.

On a library shelf near you - February 24, 2015.

Picture Book Roundup - January 2015 edition

Some new picture book favorites!  A fairytale, a toddler book, and poetic nonfiction.  Enjoy!

• Jones, Ursula. 2014. The Princess Who Had No Kingdom. New York: Albert Whitman. Ill. by Sarah Gibb.

A beautiful princess, a pony, a red umbrella and red tights.  This is the girls' empowerment fairytale that you've always wanted. Be who you are; love who you are. If the illustrations in this one do not enchant you, you have no magic in your soul.  (So glad that this one made the leap across the pond!)

• Savage, Stephen. 2015. Supertruck. New York: Roaring Brook.

While tow truck and fire truck are out performing rescues, mild-mannered and bespectacled garbage truck "just collects the trash." It takes a snowstorm and an attachable snow plow to turn him into Supertruck! Simply told and simply illustrated for a young audience, this is a story of doing your job simply because it's the job that needs to be done. I like it! 

Note: Despite its snowstorm theme, this one should be popular for the 2015, "Every Hero Tells a Story" summer reading theme.

• Sayre, April Pulley. 2015. Raindrops Roll. New York: Beach Lane.

A beautifully photographed, poetic look at rain - what it does and where it lands and how we see it. Simple, gorgeous science,

It thuds.
Makes mud.
It fills.
It spills.

Have a great week, and don't forget to check out the posts on the Nonfiction Monday blog.

Free e-short stories for kids from author, Laura Sullivan

Just a reminder today, that author Laura L. Sullivan , (Under the Green Hill, 2010, Guardian of the Green Hill, 2011) is offering two short stories for free in Kindle e-book format now, for a limited time. While she has other short stories and books for adults and young adults, the following are written for young audiences. The links for free download from Amazon.com are below.  I became acquainted with Laura Sullivan online after reviewing her book, Under the Green Hill, back in 2010.  I will receive nothing if you download her free books (and neither will she), but if you enjoy them, I'm sure that will make her happy and she'd love to know about it.

"Clever Elody" is a feel-good fairytale about brains, love, and perseverance and is available for free until Saturday.  "Snake Plant" is a creepy tale (think "Little Shop of Horrors" creepy) and will appeal to every child who finds his mother overbearing (isn't that all of them?).  It's available for purchase at any time, but for free from December 15-19.

"Clever Elody"

 The romantic children's story Clever Elody features a poetic prince, and the poor girl who teaches him how to turn one borrowed chicken into perfect bliss.

http://www.amazon.com/Clever-Elody-ebook/dp/B00DMHGNSQ

"Snake Plant"

In the children's horror story Snake Plant, a young boy longs for a pet – any pet – but has to make due with an exotic vine that helps him battle his controlling mother.

http://www.amazon.com/Snake-Plant-A-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B00DJX42W2

About the author:

(from her website)

I am... hmmm...

A misanthrope who is full of hope?

A romantic who still can't quite manage to write an unequivocally happy ending?

This is what I look like, anyway, on a good day.

Laura Sullivan
©Laura Sullivan

I write everything, or if I haven't yet, I will. My published work includes middle grade fantasy; young adult fantasy, historical, and historical fantasy; and adult action/adventure/romance. Still waiting to find the perfect home are a YA contemporary with a male protagonist, and a flippantly literary adult comedy. I'll write everything else, eventually. 
I adore every single one of you who has ever read a word I've written.

2012 Fiction Favorites

Before the year 2012 slips away from me,I'd like to post my fiction favorites.

Two of the books that I was most looking forward to reading in 2012, did not disappoint me, and they are my 2012 favorites in fiction.

Starry River of the Sky

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There

• The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente (Macmillan)  and in audio book by Brilliance Audio, is a follow-up to my favorite book of last year, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making.  In The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland, September returns to find and reunite with her shadow, Halloween, who has taken up residence in Fairyland Below as the Hollow Queen.  After having learned the complicated rules of Fairyland in her last journey, September must now learn to navigate by the rules of Fairyland-Below:

Beware of dog
Anything important comes in threes and sixes
Do not steal queens
A girl in the wild is worth two in chains
Necessity is the mother of temptation
Everything must be paid for sooner or later
What goes down must come up

 The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There is as good or better than its predecessor.  The levels of Fairyland and their inhabitants are rich and wonderful and magical and utterly satisfying.  I had the pleasure of alternately reading and listening to this one, and in an unusual occurrence, both versions were equally enjoyable.  The voice of S.J. Tucker is perfectly suited for the fantastic world of Fairyland.  Her voice has an unidentifiable quality which defies the listener's attempts to place a location on her accent.  Although she is American, she could just as easily be Fairylander.

My library system classifies this book as a young adult novel, however, as with the first in the series, I find it suitable for both younger and older audiences.

I can't wait to read the third book in the Fairyland series!

For a slightly younger audience (though also entertaining for all ages) is Grace Lin's,

• Starry River of the Sky (title links to my earlier review) (Little Brown).  This is also a follow-up book, although in this case, Starry River is a stand-alone, "companion" book to the earlier Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009 Little Brown).  Grace Lin always shows herself to be a gentle and thoughtful writer, and never more so than in Starry River.

This is a captivating story that, while holding deep meaning, may be enjoyed in many layers. A magical fantasy, a Chinese folktale, a tale of a boy lost and found, a love story, a mystery, a journey of self-discovery -- all may be found in the tiny and remote Village of Clear Sky.

Enjoy them both!

• Read an excerpt from The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland here.
• Listen to an excerpt from The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland (read by S.J. Tucker) here.
• Read an excerpt from Starry River of the Sky here.
• An audio book excerpt from Starry River of the Sky (read by Kim Mai Guest) is available on this page.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Well - a review

(My review from the November 2012 edition of School Library Journal)

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. By Chris Colfer. 8 CDs. 8:59 hrs. Hachette Audio for AudioCo. 2012. ISBN 978-1-61969-125-4. $69.99.

Gr 4-7 - Like a kinder, gentler Inkheart, (Chicken House 2003), Chris Colfer's first novel (Little Brown, 2012) features a parallel world residing within the pages of a family book — a world whose inhabitants are, in general, ignorant of any world other than their own. Into this appropriately named "Land of Stories" fall 12-year-old twins, Alex and Connor. After the initial excitement of meeting the likes of Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, and other fairytale world denizens, the twins are anxious to return home. The way out, however, is not as simple as the way in. They must gather items from a cryptic riddle to perform the Wishing Spell, and soon discover they are not alone in seeking these items. A mysterious girl tracks them and perils await. The weighty danger and adventure is lightened by the wisecracking Connor, a perfect foil for Alex, his more serious sister. If the twins are a little too lucky and clueless at times (a well-read girl like Alex would surely know to avoid the gingerbread cottage in the woods), and phrasing is occasionally trite, it's a small price to pay for an otherwise satisfying adventure. As one might expect from Glee star, Chris Colfer, the narration is superb. His youthful voice is ideal for the roles of the young siblings as well as the large cast. He speaks conversationally in a pleasing voice, although the constant refrain of "he said," "she said," can become tiresome. Colfer's popularity and top-notch narration should ensure a fine reception for this first title in a projected series.

Copyright © 2012 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
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Audio and print excerpts for The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell are available on the publisher's website.

The Council of Mirrors: The Sisters Grimm - a review

It's been years since I reviewed The Fairy Tale Detectives, the first book in The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley.

I've recently had the opportunity to review the audio book version of the ninth and final book in the series. It's been a good run.

Below is my review as it appeared it in the August 2012, edition of School Library Journal.

The Council of Mirrors: The Sisters Grimm, Book 9. By Michael Buckley. 6 cassettes or 6 CDs. 6:50 hrs. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4640-3363-6, CD: ISBN 978-1-4640-3362-9. $66.75.

Gr 4-6--In the final book (Amulet Books, 2012) in Michael Buckley's series, the fate of Ferryport Landing, the Everafters, and the Grimm family are at stake as the Grimms join with former foes and gather a ragtag army of Everafters to face the nefarious Scarlet Hand led by Mirror, the evil looking glass who has taken human form and forcibly occupied the body of the Grimm Sisters' Granny Relda. The Hand, a group of malevolent fairy tale characters, including Prince Charming's brother Atticus, Mayor Heart, and Sheriff Nottingham, is intent on wreaking havoc and gaining freedom from the magical boundary that keeps Everafters imprisoned in Ferryport Landing. Magic mirrors loyal to the Grimms reveal in a prophecy that it is young Sabrina and Daphne Grimm who are destined to save the world from the rogue characters. Despite their friends' lack of confidence, Daphne and Sabrina lead Charming, Puck, Beauty, and the rest of the group into battle. The secret to winning the war will likely be a surprise. Like the finale of Harry Potter, Michael Buckley ends this popular series with a hint of romance and a peek at the future--a glimpse of the much older Daphne and Sabrina Grimm. L. J. Ganser, has been the voice of all nine books. What he lacks in adolescent feminine vocal range, he makes up for with superb diction and the ability to make clear distinctions between the dozens of characters. Overall, a satisfying listen.

Copyright © 2012 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission.

Listen to a sample:

The Flint Heart - an audiobook review

Paterson, Katherine and John Paterson. 2011.  The Flint Heart. Read by Ralph Lister. Brilliance Audio.
4 hrs. 9 min.

First written and published in 1910, by Eden Phillpotts, The Flint Heart is a re-telling of his fairytale by Newbery-winning author Katherine Paterson and her husband, John.  

In the same vein as the better-known "one ring," from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, a heart of flint is forged, containing both evil and power.  It survives for thousands of years, occasionally surfacing and disappearing, landing finally in a British moor, where it is unearthed by a kindly farmer who falls immediately under its wicked spell. With the help of fairyland creatures, the farmer's children, 12-year-old Charles, and 5-year-old Unity, undertake the task of finding the vile heart and ensuring that it does no more harm.  Though they receive help from fairies, pixies, and the all-knowing Zagabog, their most delightful helper is the hot-water bottle, an ancillary character who will win your heart.

Ralph Lister's reading is decidedly British, both in accent and style, calling forth comparisons to English classics.  Winnie the Pooh comes immediately to mind.

The audiobook book was nominated for an Audie Award, and the print version is beautifully illustrated by John Rocco.  The audio version contains lengthy and interesting commentary by Katherine Paterson regarding the making of The Flint Heart.

This chapter book will make a great family read or listen-aloud, and will appeal to fans of British fantasies similar to The Chronicles of Narnia.

Listen to a sample of The Flint Heart here.

John Rocco's illustrations may be one reason you might prefer this one in print. (Either way, you can't go wrong.)  Take a look.

The Flint Heart Book Trailer from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Huff & Puff - a review

Rueda, Claudia. 2012. Huff & Puff: Can you blow down the houses of the three little pigs? New York: Abrams.

I was going to include this in a picture book roundup, but it's just so cute that it's going to get its own post.

Though traditional folk and fairy tales are part of our shared culture, it's difficult to find a version simple enough to share with toddlers in a meaningful way.  Huff & Puff makes this look easy.  With  sparse and straightforward text (only one line per plain white page),

First pig building a house.

First pig inside the house.

One wolf huffing and puffing,

and delightfully innocent-looking pigs, you'd think that Huff & Puff couldn't get any better.  But wait, there's more.  Each time the wolf comes along, the reader is presented with the wall of the house (straw, stick and brick) and a hole for, you guessed it, huffing and puffing!  The reader is the wolf! All the illustrations are drawn with a wolf's-eye view, including the birthday cake with candles that awaits the wolf on the final page.

Three pigs and one wolf are happy.

Awww.


This book is an offering from Abrams' new imprint, Abrams Appleseed. 

Advance Reader Copy provided by the publisher.

Read the Kirkus review here.

Oh why didn't I look at this one yesterday before I did a pig-themed storytime?

Under the Green Hill

Sullivan, Laura. 2010. Under the Green Hill. New York: Henry Holt.  

I had planned to write a thoughtful review, complete with several passages from pages that I'd carefully marked, however, after booktalking Under the Green Hill yesterday at my monthly book club meeting, a young girl decided to take it home. Perhaps that says enough.

For now, let it suffice to say that Under the Green Hill is a fantasy story with some similarities to the Chronicles of Narnia. However, the Green Hill does not exist in a foreign land or alternate universe.  The Green Hill, populated by the beautiful, frightening, capricious, willful and sometimes vengeful denizens of the fairy world, exists within the confines of the modern English countryside, under the watchful eye of  Phyllida Ash, its Guardian.  It is here, that siblings Rowan, Meg, Silly and James Morgan are sent, along with foils, Dickie Rhys and Finn Fachan.

Read an excerpt here.

My young reader friend promised to let me know her thoughts on the book when she returns it. I'll add her thoughts to the comments at a later date.

I read this book at the suggestion of the author, who thought that I might enjoy it.  She was right.  I did.  This is Laura Sullivan's first novel.  The next installment, Guardian of the Green Hill, is due out in the fall.

Not knowing anything about Ms. Sullivan, I checked her publisher's website and was intrigued by her biography. I think you will be, too ... read on

Laura L. Sullivan is a former newspaper editor, biologist, social worker and deputy sheriff who writes because that’s the easiest way to do everything in the world. She lives in the woods of Kentucky with her loved ones.

 More interesting facts about Ms. Sullivan on her website.

Reckless

Funke, Cornelia. 2010. Reckless. New York: Little Brown. (Translation by Oliver Latsch)

We don't know the difficulties encountered by Jacob Reckless when he first entered the mysterious Mirrorworld from a portal in his father's study.  By the time we meet Jacob Reckless, he is to the Mirrorworld as Aragorn is to Middle Earth - a master of local lore, people, plants and magic, easily navigating the dangerous, primitive and magical world - a world where the more evil elements of our fairy tales still reside.  The gingerbread houses of witches who eat children, the thorns that put one into deathly sleep, the Lorelei who lure boaters to their deaths - these and worse can still be found.  In the Mirrorworld Jacob is a treasure hunter, and more comfortable in the primitive world of Fairies, Dwarves and Goyl than in his own.  But he is not invulnerable, even with the help and adoration of the shape-shifter, Fox, that protects him.

In the modern world of humans, his mother, sad and withdrawn since his father's disappearance, has little hold upon Jacob.  But his brother, who has looked up to him as the father he doesn't even remember, his brother is Jacob's link to the world of his birth. Will is the reason that Jacob continually returns to the modern world.

But this time is different, it is not Jacob who has returned to Will, but Will who has traveled through the mirror, into a world where he doesn't know how to protect himself - a world where one moment, one mistake can be fatal; close behind him, his girlfriend Clara follows.  And now, it's up to Jacob to save him, to save them all.

    He picked the rose, and Clara heard the wood stem snap.  One of its thorns pricked his finger, and Will looked in surprise at the pale amber blood oozing from his petrified skin.
      He dropped the rose and rubbed his forehead.  "What's this? he said, faltering and looking at his brother.  "What have you done?"
     Clara reached out to him, but Will flinched away from her, stumbling over one of the skeletons.  The bones cracked like rotten wood under his boots. 
     "Will, listen!" Jacob grabbed his arm.  "You have to sleep.  I need more time.  When you wake up, all this will be over.  I promise."
     But Will shoved him away with such violence that Jacob staggered back, out of the shelter of the trees into the open expanse of the autumnal meadow.
     "Jacob!" Fox yelped. "Come back under the trees!"
     The image would stay with Clara forever.  Jacob, looking back.  And then the gunshot.

  Reckless is the first of a planned series about the Mirrorworld. As she did with the Inkworld, Cornelia Funke creates a dark and believable fantasy setting with a plot as thick and twisted as a path through the dark wood.  Jacob Reckless is a flawed, but likable, even admirable character.  Though this is only the first book, the conclusion is definitely satisfying.  Fans of the Inkheart series, older readers and fantasy fans will love it! Highly recommended.

As it reads on the dust cover,

"If you're looking for happily ever after, you've come to the wrong place."

 Watch and listen to Cornelia Funke read from Chapter 1. She's great!





• Reckless Educator's Guide
• A Field Guide to the Mirrorworld. This will come in handy, as I'm sure that I'll be entering the Mirrorworld again!
• Other great Reckless features at the official site.

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The Goose Girl

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Rowling, J.K. 2008. The Tales of Beedle the Bard: A wizarding classic from the world of Harry Potter. New York: Children's High Level Group in association with Arthur A. Levine.

Suggested reading for Hogwarts School children and a favorite of wizarding families everywhere, this version of Beedle's famous stories was recently translated from ancient runes by Hogwarts' own, Hermione Granger, and contains commentary by Albus Dumbledore.

In reality, this new book by J.K. Rowling is a collection of wizarding fairy tales written in a classic style. The stories, complete with requisite moral messages, are each a delight in their own right; the sometimes serious, sometimes humorous commentary by Albus Dumbledore only adds to the reader's enjoyment. There are five tales in all. "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" is good enough to rival classic fairy tales of old.

A delightful collection to sustain Harry Potter fans waiting anxiously for the long-delayed next movie! Purchases of this book benefit the Children's High Level Group, a worldwide children's charity established by J.K. Rowling.

Twice Upon a Marigold

Ferris, Jean. 2008. Twice upon a Marigold. Harcourt: Orlando.

Twice Upon a Marigold is the follow-up story to the multiple award-winning bestseller, Once Upon a Marigold (one of my favorites). The story continues the saga of Princess, (now Queen) Marigold and Prince Christian after the tyrant, Queen Olympia's, "unfortunate" disappearance into the river on their wedding day.

Twice Upon a Marigold continues the tongue-in-cheek humor of the original. Reading the "Daily Discourse," Marigold remarks,

"Look at that. Alison Wonderland has gotten lost again. That girl just never learns."

There are not enough new fairy tale funnies, however, to match the original book. "P mail," (pigeon messages), and Marigold's penchant for bad jokes, are holdovers from the previous book. Additionally, the moral messages in Twice Upon a Marigold are delivered a little heavy-handedly. When Lazy Susan is demoted to a job as a scullery maid, Mrs. Clover questions her and takes her to task,

"'How are those kettles coming along?' she asked pointedly. 'They're repulsive,' Lazy Susan said. 'That's true,' Mrs. Clover agreed. 'But getting them clean is a necessity. And a great accomplishment. Something to be proud of.' ...

Always before she'd been content to avoid effort of any kind, and she hadn't cared who knew it. But the things Mrs. Clover had said to her made her feel . . . maybe ashamed? Or chastened? Or embarrassed? Whatever it was, it wasn't a good feeling."

A surprise twist at the end regarding the royal dressmaker and chef - the magically handy, foreign language expert, Stan Lucasa, adds some last-minute humor. A quick, fun read for middle-grades, but not on par with the original.

Once Upon a Marigold was the winner of multiple awards including: ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Notable Children’s Book, and Voice for Youth Advocates (VOYA) Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux
DiCamillo, Kate. 2006. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the tale of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. Ill. by Timothy Basil Ering. New York: Scholastic.
ISBN 0439 692202

I thought I'd post this old review because The Tale of Despereaux is due out soon as a movie. I saw the previews the other night. My daughter and I both thought that, given the wonderful cinematic opportunity that this book offers, the previews did not look promising. The characters appear much too "cute." Perhaps it will be better than we think. I hope so. The book, however, is wonderful...read on.

Plot Summary:
The Tale of Despereaux is a fairy tale with an unlikely hero in Despereaux, the undersized mouse who falls in love with Pea, the beautiful princess. The lives of Pea, Despereaux, the king, a rat, a serving girl, a cook, a jailer, a prisoner, and a host of mice and rats are entwined in this tale of adversity, triumph, and forgiveness.

Critical Analysis:
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread is a modern fantasy with many of the elements of high fantasy. Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery award-winning title blends anthropomorphism, heroism, the battle between good and evil, and a forgotten age into a delightful tale. The story’s unlikely hero is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who falls in love with Pea, a human princess. The tale is divided into four books, the first three tell the tales of Despereaux, the serving girl Miggery Sow, and Roscuro the rat; the fourth brings them all together in the struggle between light and dark.

Despereaux’s honesty, humbleness, and earnestness draw the reader in immediately, as does the story’s narrator, who frequently entreats and enlightens the reader. “What will become of her? You must, frightened though you may be, read on and see for yourself. Reader, it is your duty.” When Despereaux’s brother encourages him to nibble on a book from the king’s library, he replies, “I couldn’t possibly……It would ruin the story.” He revels in the stories of “once upon a time,” and fancies himself a knight (although armed with a sewing needle, rather than a sword)"I honor you!" he shouts out to Pea, while scampering away from her angry father's big foot.

The theme of the story is light vs. darkness, both literally and figuratively. The Princess, the castle, and soup (!) are light and goodness; the dungeon and the rats are darkness and evil. Despereaux, fond of music and good books, and prone to fainting spells is on a heroic, almost Quixotic quest, to first save himself and then the princess. He is marked for death by the red thread of the Mouse Council, of which his own father is a member. In the dungeon he encounters a jailer, a prisoner, and the rats. A subplot involves a serving girl, Miggery Sow,who wishes to supplant the princess, and the devious rat, Roscuro.

Despereaux is loyal, courageous, and valiant (fainting spells notwithstanding), but the tale’s true message is that of forgiveness. Despereaux’s small size is not indicative of his big heart. He forgives his father for pronouncing his death, even before his safety has been secured. The princess, too, forgives the rat, Roscuro, the very rat that caused her mother’s death by falling into her soup. They may not all live “happily ever after,” but those who seek it will find some measure of salvation.

The story is funny and enchanting – a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read, but it has a message as well….the power of honesty and forgiveness for redemption. (Delicately and humorously illustrated in black and white sketches by Timothy Basil Ering)


Review Excerpts:
In the August 2003, issue of School Library Journal (Jones, Toth, et al), write "In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun."

My 11-year old daughter liked the book because she enjoyed "reading the same story from everyone's point of view."

Connections:
For readers enjoying this book, suggest Kate DiCamillo's newest book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The Tale of Despereaux is a great read-aloud for school.

The Scholastic website, suggests writing letters of encouragment to Despereaux. This could be a fun activity to do before the ending is revealed.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/unit_despereaux_lesson3.htm

Penelope

A quick aside from children's lit -

I went to see Penelope (Stone Village Pictures 2008, starring Christina Ricci, rated PG) this weekend with four 12 and 13 year old girls. I don't think it received stellar ratings, but we absolutely loved it!

Penelope (Christina Ricci) is born to a wealthy, London, blue-blood family. She bears the features of a pig, in fulfillment of a curse issued generations earlier. The curse may only be broken when she is "accepted by one of her own."

In this modern day fairy tale, Penelope's mother secrets her away in the family castle and tries, without luck, to find a suitor among London's wealthy elite class. The movie is funny and touching as Penelope finds and loses true love and strikes out on a path of her own. The movie is at times hilarious, at times touching, at times uplifting. The end is a surprising twist that reaffirms the power and beauty of individuality and self-confidence.

Interestingly, after the movie, we tried to place the time frame for the movie. A reporter types on a 1920s style typewriter, Penelope's clothes could be suited to an earlier era, the street fair evokes the 19th century, the telephones date from the 1960s, the London skyline looks to be a mixture of the past and the future - yet somehow, it all works. My daughter surmised that each character sees the world as she wants to. I think she hit the nail on the head. Penelope shows us that our reality is colored by our perception and challenges us to see beyond.

Waking Beauty

Wilcox, Leah. 2008. Waking Beauty. Ill. by Lydia Monks. New York: Putnam.

A preschooler just came in thinking that today was storytime. I didn't want to send her home disappointed, so I pulled out Waking Beauty, a rhyming, fractured fairy tale. We all know that the princess needs a kiss, but Prince Charming has a hard time figuring it out.

"The fairies all began to hiss,
'She'll only wake to True Love's --'

'Wait!' Prince Charming waved his hand.
'Don't worry, girls, I understand.'

And stooping o'er her snoring snout,
he dumped a water pitcher out."

The prince tries several methods, including shooting Beauty out of a cannon, before he figures out what is truly required.

"He poked her muddy, matted curls.
'I've heard that there are germs on girls.'"

The surprise ending is funny as well. Very cute!

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-tale Detectives

Buckley, Michael. 2005. The Sisters Grimm: The fairy-tale detectives. New York: Amulet. ISBN: 9780810959255.

This is an older book, but it has recently been reissued. It is NJ's choice for One Book NJ 2008 for children. I had reviewed it previously and posted it to a wiki, but I will add it here. I am trying to keep everything in one place. (although I am a big LibraryThing fan and keep my books there as well)

Daphne, age 7, and Sabrina, almost 12, have been shuffled from one dismal foster home to another since their parents disappeared almost a year ago. Now that they have been claimed by a grandmother they thought was dead, Daphne is delighted to have found a real home. Sabrina, however, is not so sure. There’s something peculiar about Granny Grimm and her home in Ferryport, New York. She cooks black spaghetti with bright orange sauce and green meatballs. She talks to her house and secures it like a fortress. She has a mysterious locked room from which voices can be heard, and a steadfast companion, the creepy, Mr. Canis.

Granny Relda Grimm, and the girls themselves, it appears, are descendants of the famous Brothers Grimm – destined to keep order in a world inhabited by fairy tale characters. Daphne swallows the whole story – along with the green meatballs, but Sabrina remains skeptical – that is, until Granny Grimm and Mr. Canis are whisked away by a giant! Now the girls must rely on themselves, fairy tale books, and the “Everafters” themselves (Jack, Prince Charming, Puck, pixies, the three little pigs and more!) to sort out this fairy-tale detective story.

This first in a series of The Sisters Grimm: Fairy-Tale Detectives, is delightfully, though sparsely, illustrated in black and white sketches by Peter Ferguson. The action is swift and the story moves along rapidly. The foreshadowing is a bit too obvious at times - the three little pigs appear to have an unusual dislike for Mr. Canis, the mayor’s name is Charming and he’s planning a ball. Younger children, however, will likely enjoy figuring out the “clues.”

Dialogue is plentiful and appropriate for two young sisters, however, it sometimes reads like a vocabulary lesson when Daphne stops the conversation to have a word explained. “Daphne was poring over a large book entitled Anatomy of a Giant. ‘I don’t know what this word is,’ she said. ‘How is it spelled?’ ‘A-L-L-I-A-N-C-E-S.’ ‘It’s alliances, it means to team up or join a group,’ Sabrina explained.”

An overwhelming number of “everafters” make an appearance in the story. Many will be familiar to young readers, Glinda the Good Witch, the Queen of Hearts, Momma Bear, King Arthur, Prince Charming. Many of them, however, will not – Puck, Morgan Le Fay, Frau Pfefferkuchenhaus. In any case, The Sisters Grimm offers young readers a glimpse into part of our cultural heritage in a thoroughly modern and entertaining manner.
Review Excerpts:

The October 2005, issue of Kirkus Reviews, notes " this tongue-in-cheek frolic features both a pair of memorable young sleuths and a madcap plot with plenty of leads into future episodes."

Charles De Lint writes, “…older readers will get a kick out of seeing the characters in new guises, but the writing, characterization, and plot are definitely aimed at the younger reader. …It’s fast-paced and fun, simple, but not simplistic.” (Fantasy & Science Fiction Sep 2006)