Review: Muppet Snow White by Jesse Blaze Snider

by Carol4 Comments
(Suggested Reading Level: Grades 4 and up) Last time I reviewed a Muppet book, I forgot to mention a few things on my list of belongings. I have six glasses with picture from The Great Muppet Caper that McDonalds was giving away back in the 80s, a bunch of Sesame Street beanie babies, a couple Pez dispensers, and a fabric Kermit book we got when Amber was a baby. Oh, and a Kermit the Frog puppet. I think that's it. I adore the Muppet remakes of classic stories. This time it's Snow White, and I do think that Miss Piggy is perfect as the evil stepmother. Of course the story has a few Muppet twists and I just flat out enjoyed it. It's light-hearted and funny. I read it with Amber - yes, comic books are really tough to read aloud, but that's life. It's worth it when the story's good. You may think you know the Snow White story, but not the...
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Friday’s Tale: Puss in Boots illustrated by Fred Marcellino

by Carol11 Comments
Puss in Boots is a character I was familiar with but I don't remember ever reading the actual fairy tale. The tale was first published by Charles Perrault in 1697. It's a quite entertaining story of a very special cat. The picture above is the cover of the version I read, Puss in Boots translated by Malcolm Arthur, illustrated by Fred Marcellino. Isn't it gorgeous? The cat looks mysterious and intelligent. The title of the book has been relegated to the back cover, so tit doesn't distract from the image. The story begins with a dead miller's estate being divided between his three sons. The oldest gets the mill, the middle gets the donkey, and the youngest gets the cat. The youngest is disappointed, of course, but the cat tells him not to worry. The cat requests a pair of boots and a sack, which the young man gives him. Since this is a fairy tale a talking cat is not remarkable. Puss...
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Review: Leaping Beauty by Gregory Maguire

by Carol6 Comments
(Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6) This was a cute collection of fractured fairy tales, each with animal stars. Amber (11) and I read it together over several evenings and both enjoyed it.  There are eight tales, each recognisable but transformed. In addition to Leaping Beauty, there is Cinder-Elephant whose pie pan shoes were perfect. We met So What, a chimpanzee who moves in with seven circus-performing giraffes. I think one of my favorites was "The Three Little Penguins and the Big Bad Wolf." The youngest penguin has an artistic streak that made the story truly funny. And there's Little Red Robin Hood, who likes to pretend he's a superhero. The little robin was called Little Red Robin Hood, because he was a red robin. Also, when he grew up, he wanted to rob the rich birds of the forest and give their worms to the poor birds of the forest. (pg. 107) I think Amber was about the perfect age for this one....
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Friday’s Tale: Beauty and the Beast by Marie Le Prince de Beaumont

by Carol11 Comments
In my Monday post I mentioned that I debating what story to feature this Friday and blodeuedd seconded my suggestion of "Beauty and the Beast." There are many versions of this classic fairy tale. I read the version by Marie Le Prince de Beaumont from 1756. It can be found many places, including here. The first version of the story was written in 1740 by Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve. It's novella length and is actually the one I wanted to read, but I had trouble finding a copy of it. I have a book on-hold through our inter-library loan system that I think will have it, but I won't know for sure until it comes in. So maybe I'll have a chance to compare the two in the future, but in the meantime I'll look at de Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast." The story starts out with a merchant who has six children, three sons and three daughters, and he actually...
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Friday’s Tale: The Gingerbread Man

by Carol14 Comments
"The Gingerbread Man" "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man." That's the phrase I associate with the story of the gingerbread man, but it wasn't even in the version I read for today's post. This version comes from the St. Nicholas Magazine, May 1875 and is one of the earliest known printed versions of the story. The story begins with an old man and an old woman who desperately want a child, as often happens in fairytales. (Thumbling, Momotaro) One day the woman was baking gingerbread and she cut one into the shape of a boy. As soon as she opened the oven door to see if it was baked, the Gingerbread Boy jumped out and ran away. The old couple couldn't catch him. We follow the Gingerbread Boy as he outruns farm workers, a cow and a pig, but then he meets a fox. I've run away from a little old woman, A little...
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Friday’s Tale: “Maid Maleen” by The Brothers Grimm

by Carol6 Comments
"Maid Maleen" by the Brothers Grimm I have to say that I like Maid Maleen. Maybe I'm just in a good mood today, forgiving of the Grimm's typical love of the beautiful, sweet, obedient young woman, or maybe Maid Maleen is not solely passive. Her story's romantic and touching, but she has to rescue herself in order to get to her happy ending. Maid Maleen is the daughter of a King and of course very beautiful. A prince from another land asked for her hand in marriage, but her father refuses, the story doesn't tell us why. Maid Maleen and the prince love each other dearly, and Maleen tells her father that she will marry no one else. Her father, furious, locks her and her waiting-woman up in a tower (reminds you of Rapunzel's tower, doesn't it?) for seven years, cutting them off from the rest of the world. When the food and drink dwindles and the two young women realize that...
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