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Sunday
March 21, 2010 Since 1922 |
‘Princess Tales’ a delight for children
By JoAn Martin
Baytown Sun Published August 22, 2004 After literary success with the 1998 Newberry Honor Book “Ella Enchanted,” Gail Carson Levine builds on the popularity of fairy tales with “The Princess Tales: The Fairy's Mistake” and “The Princess Test.”
Ever favorite parodies are delightful to children and adults alike who know the original story.
Even fairies make mistakes. When Ethelinda tried to reward Sweet Rosella for her kindness and to punish Spiteful Myrtle for being rude and selfish, the punishment turned out to be more pleasing than the reward.
Myrtle uses her curse to threaten everyone with the reptiles and insects that fall from her mouth. Rosella’s gift causes the greedy Prince Harold to fall in love with the jewels that fall from her mouth with every word she speaks.
With down-to-earth action and dialogue, the sisters overcome sibling rivalry to work out a backfire on the prince.
Like all good fairy tales, after a few hilarious twists and turns, everyone lived happily. But Ethelinda becomes more careful with her spells.
In “The Princess Test” Lorelei must convince Prince Nichols and his parents, King Humphrey and Queen Hermione, that the idea of a real test of a princess will elevate true love over blue blood.
Lorelei’s parents recognize she has the characteristics of a true princess: allergic to milk, sensitive to heat and cold, insistence her bed be made with hospital corners.
Trudy, the housekeeper, comes along with a firm hand for the picky, accident-prone child of indulgent parents.
Through a series of humorous misadventures, Lorelei easily beats out the 79 other contenders, even though Trudy and the king and queen work at cross purposes against the love of Prince Nicholas and Lorelei.
True to the original “Princess and the Pea,” Lorelei with Prince Nicholas’ coaching, passes all the tests and everyone lives happily ever after, even the devious Trudy.
Gail Carson Levine has written four books in the “Princess Tales,” of which these first two have made the Bluebonnet list. She wrote for nine years before anything was accepted. “If I’d stopped after seven, none of the wonderful things that have happened would have happened. Don’t give up.” Her favorite book as a kid was “Peter Pan.”
Offered in small, easily held volumes, both tales are an upside-down, inside-out whirl on the familiar fairy tales which will delight children from 7 to 12.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.
Baytown Sun Published August 22, 2004 After literary success with the 1998 Newberry Honor Book “Ella Enchanted,” Gail Carson Levine builds on the popularity of fairy tales with “The Princess Tales: The Fairy's Mistake” and “The Princess Test.”
Ever favorite parodies are delightful to children and adults alike who know the original story.
Even fairies make mistakes. When Ethelinda tried to reward Sweet Rosella for her kindness and to punish Spiteful Myrtle for being rude and selfish, the punishment turned out to be more pleasing than the reward.
Myrtle uses her curse to threaten everyone with the reptiles and insects that fall from her mouth. Rosella’s gift causes the greedy Prince Harold to fall in love with the jewels that fall from her mouth with every word she speaks.
With down-to-earth action and dialogue, the sisters overcome sibling rivalry to work out a backfire on the prince.
Like all good fairy tales, after a few hilarious twists and turns, everyone lived happily. But Ethelinda becomes more careful with her spells.
In “The Princess Test” Lorelei must convince Prince Nichols and his parents, King Humphrey and Queen Hermione, that the idea of a real test of a princess will elevate true love over blue blood.
Lorelei’s parents recognize she has the characteristics of a true princess: allergic to milk, sensitive to heat and cold, insistence her bed be made with hospital corners.
Trudy, the housekeeper, comes along with a firm hand for the picky, accident-prone child of indulgent parents.
Through a series of humorous misadventures, Lorelei easily beats out the 79 other contenders, even though Trudy and the king and queen work at cross purposes against the love of Prince Nicholas and Lorelei.
True to the original “Princess and the Pea,” Lorelei with Prince Nicholas’ coaching, passes all the tests and everyone lives happily ever after, even the devious Trudy.
Gail Carson Levine has written four books in the “Princess Tales,” of which these first two have made the Bluebonnet list. She wrote for nine years before anything was accepted. “If I’d stopped after seven, none of the wonderful things that have happened would have happened. Don’t give up.” Her favorite book as a kid was “Peter Pan.”
Offered in small, easily held volumes, both tales are an upside-down, inside-out whirl on the familiar fairy tales which will delight children from 7 to 12.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.