Stewig, John Warren. Nobody Asked the Pea.

Stewig, John Warren.    Nobody Asked the Pea.  Holiday House  2013  $16.95    ISBN 978-0-8234-2224-1  elem/ms     Fairy Tale      VG-BNe     

This book takes a humorous look at the traditional tale “The Princess and the Pea.” It tells the story by bouncing between several points of view.  Some of the characters who become narrators are, of course, the prince whose mother wants to marry him off, his mother the queen, the princesses being tested, the housekeeper in the palace, and -- of course -- the pea that ends up featuring so prominently in the story. Each character has a say, and they do so hilariously.  The pictures are charming and the characters portrayed have wonderfully expressive faces, which adds to the comedic tone the narration sets. The writing is certain to please readers of all ages, achieving a delightful blend of age-appropriate vocabulary and sly jokes that will appeal to older readers.  Without spoiling the ending, it must be said that only a very particular type of princess will suit, and it takes more than a pea to make her the right one for the prince.           

Princesses-Fiction, Princes-Fiction.                        -–Bethany Geleskie

Turgeon, Carolyn. Mermaid.

Turgeon, Carolyn.  Mermaid.   Broadway Books see Random, 2011.  240p.   $16.00 ISBN 9780307589972     jr/sr E-BN  Fairy Tale     

     Lenia the mermaid saves the Prince of the South from drowning and places him at the feet of the Princess of the North. The princess mistakenly believes it is a gift from the mermaid and that this young prince is meant for her.   It is Lenia’s 18th birthday and it is her turn to go above and experience the world above the sea and spend time with the people who live on the land. On her way up from the bottom of the ocean, she experiences a little bit of turbulence and she investigates. It is a terrible sea storm and it has destroyed a ship full of men. One of them falls into the water near Lenia and she swims to help him. He almost drowns, and he will need help from the land.  Lenia decides to help him. As she holds him in her arms and swims to shore, she has the opportunity to observe him and she falls in love with him.
     She leaves him on the beach and spots another girl. She communicates telepathically that he needs help and moves back into the water.  Lenia waits until the man is rescued and then turns to go home with determination in her heart. She must find a way to go above and win his heart, no matter the cost.
Lenia decides to give up her sea life, even if it means leaving her whole family behind. She strikes a bargain with the Sea Witch, but the price she has paid is even more dire than she can imagine.
     It is the basic "Little Mermaid" story, but then it takes an adult look at the relationship between the mermaid, the prince and the princess.  This is a story you will want to read.             

Subject: Mermaids -- Fiction.  2. Princesses -- Fiction

Magna Diaz

 

Lairamore, Dawn. Ivy and the Meanstalk.

Lairamore, Dawn.  Ivy and the Meanstalk.  Holiday House, 2011.  227p.  $16.95

ISBN 978-0-8234-2392-7  ms/jr VG-BNS     

     What happened after Jack climbed the beanstalk?  When he made off with the harp and hen, did he consider the repercussions of his actions?  Fans of “Ivy’s Ever After,” in which Princess Ivy saved her kingdom from a scheming prince, will enjoy “Ivy and the Meanstalk.”  Princess Ivy has little time to bask in her earlier success.  She and her friend  Eldridge, a dragon, find the kingdom of Ardendale threatened once more.  Largessa, a giantess suffering from insomnia since her golden harp and hen were stolen by a youth named Jack, threatens Ardendale with a terrible fate if her belongings are not returned to her in one week.  So Ivy and Eldridge embark on (another) fairy-tale-inspired quest, which will take them across the sea, into a golden kingdom, and up a man-eating “meanstalk.”
     The lighthearted story is humorous and entertaining, with potential for springboarding interesting discussions about how historical events may be interpreted from differing perspectives, depending on which character is sharing his or her experiences, the ethics of stealing to avert a tragedy, and the fallout created by individuals who seek revenge. 
Subjects: 1.  Princesses - Fiction.  2. Fairy Godmothers - Fiction. 3. Dragons-Fiction. 4. Giants - Fiction.     

Hilary Welliver

 

The Dragon Princess.

Baker, E.D. The Dragon Princess.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2008 218p 16.99 978-1-59990-194-7 elem

Although a princess, Millie cannot keep herself from turning unexpectedly into a dragon, so she ventures off to the Frozen North to find the Blue Witch, who she hopes will help her learn to control her dragon magic. Talk about anger management issues....Princess Millie has a serious problem. Just as Bruce Banner morphed into the Incredible Hulk when he would experience strong emotions such as anger, Millie morphs into a dragon whenever she gets angry. This tends to scare off potential boyfriends and alienates girlfriends. On the other side of the coin, it comes in handy when needing to rescue friends from a certain death and being able to sense the presence of magic is an added bonus. Nonetheless, being an uncontrollable dragon is a drag for Millie, so she journeys to the faraway Frozen North with her cousin and a vampire bat to find the one person whom she thinks can help her exert some control over her transformation. The Blue Witch may have the magic to help her, but first Millie must find a way around the abominable snowmen who guard the Blue Witch. Her bravery makes for a happy ending. Millie is a fun character that is attractive to young readers, and the humor makes this a good introduction to the fantasy genre for middle readers. Although this is the sixth in The Tales of the Frog Princess series, it is unnecessary to be familiar with previous books to enjoy this one. R. Zajko