PRINCESS ZELDA AND THE FROG by Carol Gardner

Gardner, Carol. Princess Zelda and the Frog. Photography by Shane Young. New York: A Feiwel and Friends Book, 2011. ISBN 978-0-312-60325-0. $16.99 US / $19.50 CAN.

Princess Zelda and the Frog is a retelling of the classic tale The Princess and the Frog, but in this version the princess and the frog are bulldogs in costumes. Princess Zelda has everything she could ever want, except a full night’s sleep. She wears silk dresses and sleeps in a silk bed. One day, she drops her golden ball into a mud puddle. She doesn’t know how to get it back, so she makes a deal with the frog, who fetches her ball in return for her letting him eat off her plate, drink from her goblet, and sleep on her bed. Princess Zelda reluctantly agrees to the frog’s demands. In the morning the frog turns into a handsome prince and Princess Zelda gets a good night’s sleep.

I like the names in this book: Princess Zelda, Queen Lucille, and King Sour-Mug. The frog has a lot of nicknames for Princess Zelda; he calls her Sparkles, Silky Pants, Sweet Cakes, Princess Perfect, and Sweetums. He repeatedly refers to her as his BFF, or Best Friend Forever. He calls out:

“Oh, BFF, please let me in!
So I might see your lovely grin!
Remember the promise you made to me
Please let me in---We’re meant to be!”

At the end of the book, Princess Zelda, waking up from a good night’s sleep, says to the prince:

“Oh, BFF, you were so right.
I used to toss and turn at night.
But with you snoring next to me,
It’s plain to see we’re meant to be!”

The costumes Princess Zelda wore highlight that she is a very pretty princess. I find it interesting that through the majority of the book Princess Zelda wears purple. On a few pages, she wears pink. In the last three pages, she wears red and gold. The frog has only one costume until the end of the book. At the end of the book, he is wearing red, blue, white, black, and gold.

Overall, I liked Princess Zelda and the Frog. I like dogs. I would dress my dog in costumes if she’d let me.

Carly Krewitsky

MODERN FAIRIES, DWARVES, GOBLINS, AND OTHER NASTIES by Lesley M.M. Blume

Blume, Lesley M. M. Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins & Other Nasties: A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFate.  Illus. David Foote. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-373-68203-8. $16.99. Ages: 10 and up

For a trailer of the book, check out Lesley Blume's website: http://www.lesleymmblume.com/new/modern_fairies_mov/movie/

I am eternally grateful to Miss Edythe McFate for sharing her extensive knowledge about the very modern and very real world of fairies and their fantastical counterparts. I am equally indebted to Lesley M.M. Blume who interviewed Miss McFate and made the stories available. Finally, I want to thank illustrator David Foote. It is because of his marvelous illustrations in concert with Edythe McFate's extensive knowledge of "the wayward natures, properties, and habits of fairies" that I am confident in my ability to identify fairies, both friend and foe, and take proper precautions. While I won't give all the secrets away (you truly need to read them yourself), I will share the most important trick of all: How to tell a good fairy from a bad one.

Fortunately there is no absurd combination of unattainable materials—all you need is a penny. Here's what you do: The moment you realize you are in the presence of a fairy, put your penny on the floor. "If the penny glows blue, you're probably safe. If the penny glows green—or worse black—run away immediately, and don't look back for a second." This is also the point in time that you need to take additional steps to protect yourself. Don't know how to do that? Well, that's exactly why Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins & Other Nasties exists.

In addition to identifying fairies and their like and how to interact with them, Miss Edythe McFate also provides until-now-unknown answers to some of life's most stubborn mysteries. What are they? Well, again, that's something you need to find out for yourself. I will tell you, though, that you will finally get the answers to why hair turns white, where those missing spoons go, and why swimming pool water sometimes becomes green. But there is so much more...

If you, like Miss Edythe McFate, are from New York City, you will be delighted to encounter many landmarks that you pass on a daily basis. Some of these landmarks are obvious: Central Park, the Lincoln Tunnel, and Carnegie Hall; but there are some you might have to look for more carefully. Don't live in New York City? That's okay— Modern Fairies will give you enough information to recognize fairies' presence anywhere.

In closing, I have a final note for parents: If you are unable to deal with your child's ability to see things that you do not or are unwilling to handle clothes and socks that may be worn inside out or are easily annoyed by creative thought, then this book might not be for your child. Then again, carefully consider those minor irritations in light of what might happen when your child encounters the unstable, but quite marvelous world of fairies. As Miss McFate always says, "forewarned is forearmed."

Though this is probably better suited to the young adult reader, Modern Fairies is so engaging that I think it will pull the advanced (or maybe not so advanced) younger reader through all 242 pages. The text is delightful and the illustrations are spellbinding; there is not a boring page in the book.

Read it.

Stephanie Ashley

THE WHITE BALLETS by Rajka Kupesic

Kupesic, Rajka. The White Ballets. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-88776-923-8. $19.95 US $21.99 CAN. Ages 9-12

The White Ballets is equally as much a work of art as a storybook. The book itself is stunningly gorgeous. All of the pages are edged with gold, and the illustrations are richly made in paint and gold leaf. The art is reminiscent of an illuminated fairy tale storybook and fits well with the elegant tales of dance told on the pages.

Kupesic retells the plot of three ballets: Swan Lake, Giselle, and La Bayadère. Her writing style is graceful and clear. The three stories are separated by full-page spreads written in the author’s voice explaining her paintings, which encourages readers to flip back to the earlier pages and examine the art in detail.

The White Ballets makes a beautiful gift for the young ballerina in your life. It belongs on display on a table or upright on a shelf – as elegant and gorgeous as the fairy tale ballets it retells!

Marisa Behan

Review: KISS ME! (I'M A PRINCE!) by Heather McLeod

McLeod, Heather. Kiss Me! (I’m a Prince!). Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan. Ontario: Fitzhenry, 2011. ISBN 978-1-55455-161-3. $18.95.

Kiss Me! (I’m a Prince!) breathes new life into a familiar fairy tale. No doubt the children who read this book and whoever reads along with them will be familiar with the standard fairy tale fixture, a prince who has been turned into a frog. But McLeod and her illustrator, Kerrigan, signal a departure from the familiar storyline as soon as the book is opened.

The story begins with a familiar request by the frog prince—he needs a kiss in order to be restored to his human form. The girl he asks for that kiss, however, is anything but conventional. Ella, wearing a baseball cap backwards and an old pair of sneakers, is not interested in kissing. She just wants to play with the talking frog. He, however, points out how “unseemly” it is to play and get dirty. Life at his palace is all about education and etiquette. As soon as Ella teaches the frog prince the joyin being children, they spend many happy days swimming in the pond andplaying hopscotch.

That is, until the day a courtier from the frog prince’s palace comes to take him back home. He does not stay away, however. Two weeks later, he returns to Ella’s and tells her that although he received many kisses while at his castle, none was able to restore him to his former self. What he really needs is a kiss from a true friend. Ella asks whether he really wants to be a prince again, since he will be stuck again in his old stuffy existence. His parents, the frog prince explains, have agreed to give him time every day to play. With this good news, Ella kisses her frog friend, and they play happily ever after.

One of my favorite aspects of this version of the fairy tale is its shift in emphasis from marriage to friendship. Young children typically do not desire to find their one true love. They desire friendship and play. McLeod taps into the inclinations of her young readers. The beautiful watercolors and often-humorous visuals add to this book’s considerable charm.

Kira Hall

Review: FAIRLY FAIRY TALES by Esme Raji Codell

Codell, Esme Raji. Fairly Fairy Tales. Illus. Elisa Chavarri. New York: Aladdin, 2011. ISBN: 1-4169-9086-4. $16.99. Ages 3-7.

What would a techo-modern version of the Three Little Pigs look like? Little Red Riding Hood? Cinderella? Solar panels, discos, and salons meet fairy tales when a child and mom read together at bedtime.

Codell’s text is simple, maybe seemingly simplistic, but actually quite smart. She presents three elements that readers who are familiar with fairy tales will recognize, then throws in a fourth element that does not traditionally belong with the fairy tale at all. On the page this is show as pictures on a white background with the words above them. Then, the following illustrations by Chiavani put the fairy tale in a modern setting involving the fourth element. There are so many children’s books, both picture and chapter, that revamp traditional fairy tales. This is a nice fun addition to the pile.

The actual lack of text works by not being too descriptive, so kids’ imaginations can make up their own details, and the pictures are bright and cartoony. It’s only serious in terms of its fun!

Marie Soriano

Review: MIRROR MIRROR by Marilyn Singer

Singer, Marilyn. Mirror Mirror. Illus. Josee Masse. NY: Dutton, 2010. ISBN 0-525-47901-7. $16.99.

These short reversible story poems are intellectual delights: each page’s left side poem is read top to bottom, then is reversed line for line in the right side poem, which, enjoyably, also makes perfect sense as well as a good poem. Word order isn’t changed, only occasional punctuation. Singer’s originals are a model for potential writing sessions in classrooms. Poetry can be fun!

The poems are versions of famous fairy tales, so content like “Rapunzel” and “Snow White” is readily recognizable. On the opposite page are illustrations rich in color and design, also mirroring the poems—the left side illustration matches the left side poem, and the right side painting encapsulates the poem, the story element, in its reverse. Masse juxtaposes the two paintings superbly so they play off each other, as in the Frog Prince and Beauty and the Beast. The sense of design is beautiful.

Alida Allison