Folklore and Fairytales - TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES (ages 5+up) (illustrated by K.Y. Craft) (O)

Author: Mayer, Marianne

Synopsis
Every night, the king locks his 12 daughters in their room. Every morning, he finds them looking pale with their new dancing slippers in tatters. Can a young gardener solve the mystery without becoming bewitched himself? Full color.

Card catalog description
When the king's twelve daughters, under an evil spell, wear holes in their dancing slippers every night and grow pale and mysterious, Peter the gardener's boy discovers their secret and breaks the spell. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Synopsis
Twelve "princesses, who are under an enchantment, mysteriously dance the night away, wearing holes in their slippers and becoming pale and withdrawn. So concerned is the king that he offers a princess' hand in marriage to theyoung man who can solve the riddle. . . . Ages five to nine." (Booklist)

Annotation
Mayer brings this beloved classic to life with all the splendor and romance of the story displayed in jewel-like paintings that sweep beautifully across the pages. Full color.

From The Publisher
Every night, the king locks his 12 daughters in their room. Every morning, he finds them looking pale with their new dancing slippers in tatters. Can a young gardener solve the mystery without becoming bewitched himself? Full color.

Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-- In this lavishly illustrated but poorly structured retelling of the classic Grimm tale, Mayer retains little of the original, making major and inexplicable changes in the story. Abandoning the direct simplicity of the folk tradition found in Errol Le Cain's version (Penguin, 1981), Mayer fundamentally alters the main characters, making the old soldier a golden-haired youth, the eldest daughter the youngest, and the old crone a mystifying vision of a ``regal'' woman. She further confuses the plot by introducing several new and unnecessary elements which are never fully developed (a fortune-teller, a ``half-forgotten'' prophecy), leaving the plot muddled and readers feeling cheated. Mayer's prose contributes to the muddle, relying on long cliched descriptions and an excessive use of adjectives (``the wizened old fortune-teller's eyes burned bright, and her thin voice crooned like a haunting echo''). Overall, the language is too ornate and cumbersome to sustain children's interest or be effective as a read-aloud. Craft's illustrations are much more successful. For the most part, her paintings are rich and luminous, appropriately depicting the romanticized couple in an opulent fairy tale setting. Several are striking in their design and use of light, but a few are disconcertingly flat and garish. Evocative vignettes, placed on nearly every page, elaborate small details of setting or action. While Craft's illustrations make this an attractive addition to folk/fairy tale collections, Mayer's overblown text is inappropriate for both the genre and the intended audience. Libraries with a strong demand for multiple versions of fairy tales may want to purchase this for the illustrations alone, but those owning the Le Cain version can pass it by.-- Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, Fla.

From Nancy Partridge - Children's Literature
This is a retelling of the well-known fairytale, accompanied by splendid illustrations that draw the reader in with their lush beauty. They reveal the atmosphere of enchantment that falls over the princesses, turning their hearts to ice and forcing them to dance every night in a semi-twilight world. The humility of the hero, a common gardener, finally manages to win over the youngest princess, and their true love breaks the chain of magic that enslaves everyone. Imaginatively written and finely illustrated, this is a picture book sure to be enjoyed by everyone who loves fairytales. 1998, (orig.

From Asimov's Science Fiction
...[A] robust retelling by Marianna Mayer.

From Susan Perren - Quill & Quire
This retelling of an old story will open up a magical world for the childwho reads it or to whom it is read. . . . Mayer's baroque tale is richly embellished by Kinuko Craft's lush, romantic illustrations. All in all this is a most attractive package for all susceptible hearts.

From Betsy Hearne - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
This fairy tale is probably best known from the Grimms' version, which Mayer has embellished with some romantic changes. The seasoned sailor has become a golden-haired gardener named Peter. . . . He prefers the youngest princess, called Elise, rather than the eldest and risks enchantment rather than betray her, where the Grimm hero wins his reward by revealing the princesses' secret to the king. . . . If Mayer's elaboration is elegant, Craft's art is almost overwhelming. . . . Faces are unfailingly pretty, scenes idyllic, and designs highly patterned. What's missing here are the rough edges that heighten beauty by their very contrast. Although the bookmaking is lavish and the detail entrancing the tone sometimes tips the balance from sophisticated to flowery.

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TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES (ages 5+up) (illustrated by K.Y. Craft) (O)

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