Skip to main content

The Wide-Awake Princess

By curlyq
The Wide-Awake Princess
By E.D. Baker
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2010. 261 pp. Juvenile chapter book.

In this story based on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, Princess Gwendolyn has been cursed to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and sleep for 100 years till kissed by her true love. Her sister, Princess Annabelle, however, was given a much different fairy blessing at birth--she was given the unusual gift of being immune to all magic. When Gwendolyn does indeed fall into a magical sleep, along with the entire castle, Annie is the only one who remains standing. It is up to her to find Gwendolyn's true love and to end the curse, and she bravely sets out on her own to do just that.

This fractured fairy tale was a delight to read. Fast-paced, funny, and well told, there were fun little twists at every turn. Baker is a great storyteller and keeps the language simple and accessible for her audience. I loved the inclusion of many well known fairy tale snippets peppered throughout the story and I found the characters excellently drawn, particularly the heroine, Princess Annie. She's a wonderful model of a girl--imperfect but brave, loyal, honest, and true to herself. A riot of fun, this is a book that's sure to be a hit with any fairytale fans!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An ABC of Flowers

By
An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 
Post a Comment
Read more

From Story Time: The Letter "B"

By
From Monday Book Babies Bird, Balloon, Bear By Il Sung Na Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.  Picture Book. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance?  From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship.  --Publisher From Monday Cuentos El primer día de un colegio Texto de Adam Rex Ilustraciones de Christian Robinson Traducción de Teresa Mlawer Editorial Corimbo, 2017.  Spanish Picture Book. Aquel verano, cuando terminaron de construir la escuela Frederick Douglass, el edificio comenzó a hacerse muchas preguntas: ¿Cuál será mi destino? ¿Quién vivirá entre mis paredes? ¿Para qué me utilizarán? Através de sus conversaciones con el conserje y t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Out of this World Books Found Here

By
Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...
Post a Comment
Read more