Where have the Unicorns Gone? by Jane Yolen illustrated by Ruth Sanderson

"In the moment that separates nighttime and dawn,

The instant of daydream that's here and then gone,

You might see the toss of a mane or a horn

And the wavery shape of escape unicorn

In that watery eden, the sea."

I picked up this book at a recent charity book sale. It was published in 2003 but when I checked an online bookseller it seems it might still be available. This is a book I would most certainly add to my Senior Picture book collection for readers aged 10+ mainly because this book is filled with the most sophisticated words:

haven; golding glades; routed by gouts of iron-red flames; gouged from hillsides; clacketing mills; catacombed hills; cataphonetics of city and town; noxious smog; wee wisplets of fog; and contrails of rockets.

This book is also begging to be read aloud. And think about that word cataphonetics! It would be fabulous to put this book into the hands of a talented and passionate teacher of Grade 6 or 7 or 8. 

The illustrations by Ruth Sanderson are so rich. They perfectly depict all the environments where unicorns once roamed freely. This book is a perfect example of the way words and illustrations should work together. Read more about Ruth Sanderson who was born in 1951 here. I found a 2016 interview with Ruth Sanderson where she talks about her art and processes. 

"Where have the unicorns gone?

They have scattered far from the noxious smog,

Wrapping themselves in wee wisplets of fog;

Leaving the iron-sharp city-straight scapes,

Fleeing in greying and tatter moon capes,

Away from the scenting of fire and fume."

Bookseller blurb: Long ago unicorns lived in a haven of sun-dappled glades and flower-filled dells. But as civilization spread over the ages -- with its fierce knights, its chugging trains, its thick smogs -- unicorns had to find a new sanctuary. But where? Jane Yolen finds a magical answer in the traditional unicorn myth. Her rhythmic, rhymed text is irresistible to read aloud. And Ruth Sanderson's brilliant artwork gives unicorns a bold reality in everything from ancient cave paintings to their secret, present-day home. After reading this tribute to the mystical, mysterious unicorn, children will enjoy looking for these elusive creatures in the world around them.

Jane Yolen talks about her book here on her web page. Click on the name Jane Yolen at the bottom of this post to see other books I have mentioned on this blog. 

If you are talking to your class about alliteration just look at these examples:

• dimity bells
• golding glades
• shadows shift in silver shades
• (the) perfect peace of ponds
• (the) ribbon-rolled river
• webbings of wires
• silken and swift and silver and streak

"They have galloped away, never looking around,

To wade in the perfect peace of ponds."

Love Birds by Jane Yolen illustrated by Anna Wilson

Jon is an observer and a listener. He rarely talks but he does listen to the sounds in his new neighborhood and most of all he listens to the birds in and around his house. He hears the piercing song of the Cardinal, the shrieks of the gulls, the tap, tap of the woodpecker, and the caws of the crows. Jon not only listens to the birds, but he knows their names too. Look closely at the book cover and you might be able to identify some of the birds mention in the story. 

"A single robin singing to a streetlight, geese in long vees honking homeward, barn swallows twittering clatter as they headed home to roost, and the lullaby coos of the local doves sitting on the ready nests."

There is one bird, though, that Jon longs to hear - the autumn owls. When he hears a barred owl Jon makes his own call rather like a conversation only it is not a bird - it is a girl! 

"... the girl held out her hand. 'Janet', she said. 'I thought you were a barred.' And then she laughed."

Jon has found a new friend and he has found his own voice. 

"For days and weeks, and into the years, they listened and talked, till, for both of them, their voices became the most important sound in thew whole wide world - the voice of a best and beloved friend."

You might already know Owl Moon (1987) is one of my all-time favourite books so when I saw, firstly that this book was by Jane Yolen, and then when I read the back notes which refer to Owl Moon, I knew I had to read this book which was published in 2022. Jane Yolen is the author of over 400 books. She was born in 1939 and she lives in Western Massachusetts. You can see more art by Anna Wilson here. If you act quickly I've seen this hardcover book listed for under AUS$20 here - you can also see inside this book.

There are lots and lots of books in libraries and shops about making new friends, but I would add this to your collection partly because of the warm illustrations but also because of the way Janet reacts when she meets Jon. A shared interest gives these two kids a lasting and meaningful friendship. 

In her notes Jane Yolen says - "This book is a kind of partner to my book Owl Moon, which is about my daughter Heidi, going owling with her father when she was very young. ... But this story takes that child, a bit older, on a different trip - to one of friendship and love."

Feathers and friendship make for a good pairing in this gentle ode to appreciating both. Kirkus

I previously talked about this book by Jane Yolen's Daughter Heidi Stemple:

Counting Birds

Here are some other books illustrated by Anna Wilson. I was interested to discover this from her web page where she says "I am from the ironbark region of central Victoria, Australia, but currently live in Edinburgh. We moved to the UK at the beginning of 2020 and haven’t left! I work for people worldwide."

Take Two by J Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Take Two: A Celebration of Twins

This is another of the books I picked up at a recent charity book sale. As far as I can tell this book, from 2012, is still available and here in Australia. The price seems to range from around $30 up to $50. Luckily my mint condition copy, which I suspect has never even been opened, was just $1. I am excited to gift this to the mum and dad of twin girls.

I previously mentioned this book when I was talking last month about the Sydney visit by Sophie Blackall.

To those of us who are not twins, identical twins are most intriguing. I always wonder if they really have their own language and if they ever pretend to be each other? And then there is just the mere fact, identical, fraternal or sororal, it is interesting to imagine what it must be like to have a womb mate who moves on to be someone closer to you, more genetically like you than anyone else in the world and, if you are lucky, your best friend. Books for your Kids

There are 44 poems in this book organised into four categories - Twins in the waiting Womb; Twinfants; How to be One; and Famous Twins. Here are a couple that caught my eye:

Mirror Twin

I wave, you wave.

I smile, you laugh.

I wink, you blink.

You leave - I'm half.

Double Trouble

We both talk with our mouths full,

An ucky way to speak.

We both forget our lunches

At least two times a week.

We both are slow to get up,

We're late to go to bed.

we always find a reason

To stay awake instead.

There isn't any argument

That both have never tried.

But we protect each other

From anyone outside.

J Patrick Lewis is the author of over 100 books and he is a twin! Jane Yolen has nearly written nearly 400 books and 47 of them are poetry books. I imagine they had fun with their collaboration over this book and how thrilling to have Sophie Blackall as the illustrator. 

Some of these are out of print but here are some other poetry books by Jane Yolen I would like to see:

Here's a Little Poem collected by Jane Yolen illustrated by Polly Dunbar

Here's a little Poem: A very first book of Poetry

Collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters

Publisher Blurb: This exuberant celebration of poetry is an essential book for every young one’s library and a gorgeous gift to be both shared and treasured. Sit back and savor a superb collection of more than sixty poems by a wide range of talented writers, from Margaret Wise Brown to Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes to A. A. Milne. Greeting the morning, enjoying the adventures of the day, cuddling up to a cozy bedtime — these are poems that highlight the moments of a toddler’s world from dawn to dusk. Carefully gathered by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters and delightfully illustrated by Polly Dunbar, Here's a Little Poem offers a comprehensive introduction to some remarkable poets, even as it captures a very young child’s intense delight in the experiences and rituals of every new day.

Your Birthday Cake by Rosemary Wells

Your birthday cake is made of mud

Because I cannot cook

I cannot read a recipe or follow in a book

I’m not allowed to use the stove

To simmer, roast or bake

I have no money of my own to buy a birthday cake

I’m sure to get in trouble if I mess around with dough

But I’ve made your birthday cake with mud

Because I love you so

Grandpa by Berlie Doherty

Grandpa's hands are as rough as garden sacks

And as warm as pockets.

His skin is crushed paper round his eyes

Wrapping up their secrets.

The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,

Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

Up in the air and down!

I picked up this delicious poetry book at a recent charity book sale for just $2 and it is in brand new condition. I suspect (but of course I really don't know) that this book was a gift for a new baby and the family never opened it? This is a huge format book (288 x 258 mm and 108 pages) with one poem (there are 60) on each page and wonderful illustrations by Polly Dunbar. I did plan to gift this book to a friend but for now I think I might keep it for my own collection. The hardcover edition of this book (my copy is hardcover) retails for nearly $60.

If you have a young child or a new grandchild or you work in a preschool this is a book you MUST consider purchasing. It is available in paperback for a better price of around $30 [9781406327113].

Image Source: Polly Dunbar

“Achieves picture book nirvana…a richly entertaining book. The real joy of this book is how it makes poetry look like fun. Every page sings…” Sydney Morning Herald

"Imagine you wake up one sunny morning and someone brings you a plate, only instead of holding scrambled eggs, you are served up a dish piled high with more than sixy little presents to unwrap, each one more lovely and surprising than the last. That’s what’s being served up in this oversized collection of bright spots in a young child’s life"  Planet Esme

Image Source: Polly Dunbar

Read this review from Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Read more about Polly Dunbar here. This is what she said about Here's a little Poem:

It was so lovely to wake up each day with a large empty page and a new poem to challenge me. I wanted each page turn to be a surprise, to keep myself entertained as much as the reader. At times it was quite daunting, working on such a big project it’s hard to see it as a whole, and I hoped it would all hang together in the end. It was great spending time with the poems. They would go round and round my head. A lovely world to get lost in.

I am the Storm by Jane Yolen

I am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi EY Stemple 

illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell

"Nature is strong and powerful. But I am strong and powerful, too. ... And when the storm passes, as it always does, 

I am the calm too."

Let's begin the the word storm. In this book different family groups experience a hurricane, tornado, blizzard, and a forest fire.

"It's okay to be scared."

But each time, the family find safety, and each narrator, from different parts of America, finds something positive in both the experience and in the clearing up that needs to follow.

"I bought flowers to all the neighbours while the grown-ups swept the ashes and washed windows."

Publisher blurb: A tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane are met, in turn, with resilience and awe in this depiction of nature's power and our own.  In the face of our shifting climate, young children everywhere are finding themselves subject to unfamiliar and often frightening extreme weather. Beloved author Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple address four distinct weather emergencies (a tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane) with warm family stories of finding the joy in preparedness and resilience. Their honest reassurance leaves readers with the message: nature is powerful, but you are powerful, too. Illustrated in rich environmental tones and featuring additional information about storms in the back, this book educates, comforts, and empowers young readers in stormy or sunny weather, and all the weather in between.

The best books, including picture books, teach me new words. In this one I discovered the word roiled. Roil: to (cause to) move quickly in a twisting circular movement. 

The teacher in this blog post used I am the Storm as a poetry writing stimulus. 

Illustrated in rich environmental tones and featuring additional information about storms in the back, this book educates, comforts, and empowers young readers in stormy or sunny weather, and all the weather in between. Brightly: Raise kids who love to read

A treasure full of  love, affirmation, and resiliency. Maria Marshall: The Picture Book Buzz

Child-centered, reassuring, and welcome. Kirkus Star review

Here in Australia this book is sadly VERY expensive ($35) so, while I would love to recommend it as a perfect library purchase, I guess that might not be possible. Perhaps you can make use of this video and you will also see the final pages which explain each of the storms. Here is an interview with Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi. Jane Yolen is the author of over (huge cheer) 400 books!

I have seen a lot of really poor digital art in picture books recently but in this book it is wonderful. The illustrators explain: "The art is sketched in pencil and the finishes are rendered in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet." My favourite page is near the end where the boy looks across a beach towards a lighthouse (signalling hope). 

From the video Project Recovery Iowa

Here are two other books illustrated by husband and wife Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell (sadly they are both way too expensive to add to my shopping list).

The Stranded Whale by Jane Yolen illustrated by Melanie Cataldo

"The whale's eye, the size of a bicycle tyre, turned towards us. It looked like it was weeping."

"I was too mad to cry. Mad at the unforgiving ocean rushing away from the shore. Mad at our short arms and the whale's long body. Made that we didn't have a boat, a winch, long ropes to pull it into the sea. Mad at everything."

This is such a profound and brave book. Most books, in fact every book I have ever read, about stranded whales end with a successful rescue but not this one. The three children find a stranded whale on a beach in Maine (but really it could be anywhere).  It is 1971 so they don't have mobile phone. One boy runs half a mile to alert the coast guard. A team of adults arrive but sadly they are unable to save this beautiful creature. Later someone comes to their home to present all three kids with a medal. But Sally does not want a medal - the whale died. She does not want a medal she wanted this amazing creature to live and to enjoy swimming in the depths of the ocean again. Her emotions are raw and honest and very very real. 

I am so happy that my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything shared this book with me. She set out a big book display of books about whales a couple of weeks ago and we were searching for this book which I had not heard of but of course I do adore Jane Yolen. Fast forward one week and she had found The Stranded Whale and kindly saved it for me. 

In this blog post Jane Yolen talks about her book. Mel Cataldo talks about her processes. In 2016 The Stranded Whale won the Green Earth Book Award. I do need to tell you The Stranded Whale (published in 2015) may be difficult to purchase. 

A moving, memorable addition to the nature collection. Kirkus

A brave book that does not shy away from grief or wonder.  Waking Brain Cells

Yolen carefully chooses her language. Her text is rich, lyrical and carries you like a poem. Melanie Cataldo’s uses muted tones in her oil and pencil illustrations. They contribute to the emotion and vulnerability of the story. Children's Books Heal

Take a look at this comprehensive Pinterest collection of Whale books. Here are some I have mentioned on this blog.  There are links to all of these and many others here:

Switching on the Moon: A very first book of bedtime poems

Switching on the Moon: A very first book of bedtime poems collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters illustrated by G. Brian Karas.

When I spied this scrumptious book at a recent charity book sale I knew it would be wonderful - Jane Yolen (you should know Owl Moon is one of my most favourite books of ALL time)  AND G. Brian Karas - a winning combination. This book was published in 2010 and it is now out of print but my copy is in mint condition and it only cost $2. Again I wonder why this book was sent to the book sale because surely it is a book to keep and treasure. It actually looks as though it has never even been opened.

All ninety pages are dominated by Karas’s twilight-hued images, with calm compositions that are interesting yet soothing. Orange Marmalade Books

Here are two of the poems from the collection of  60 gems which are organised into three sections - going to bed, Sweet Dreams and In the Night - by famous poets such as John Agard, Berlie Doherty, Eleanor Farjeon, Douglas Florian, Mary Ann Hoberman, Langston Hughes, Karla Kuskin, Wes Magee, Roger McGough, Tony Mitton, Sylvia Plath, Roger Stevens, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Kaye Umansky, Colin West and of course Jane Yolen herself. 

Sweet and Low by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Sweet and low, sweet and low,

         Wind of the western sea,

Low, low, breathe and blow,

         Wind of the western sea!

Over the rolling waters go,

Come from the dying moon, and blow,

         Blow him again to me;

While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,

         Father will come to thee soon;

Rest, rest, on mother's breast,

         Father will come to thee soon;

Father will come to his babe in the nest,

Silver sails all out of the west

         Under the silver moon:

Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.

Wonder by Andrew Fuesk Peters

I wonder at the stars by night

These little chandeliers of light

I wonder if in turn they see

The tiny spark that makes up me?

About her book Jane says: The book was just called NIGHTTIME POEMS for the longest while, until the editors insisted we find an actual title. And then, in a list of good lines from the poems, I picked out SWITCHING ON THE MOON and everyone agreed that was it. Andy chose the British poets, I the American poets, we all considered what was on offer and worked on the balance.Alas, as always, some of my favourite poems got dropped along the wayside. But that’s what making an anthology is all about—balance. Balance between serious and funny, between British and American, besides how many poems about a child’s teddy bear can we reasonably have in the mix? Illustrator Brian Karas was an inspired choice by the American editor. He simply draws (pun intended) all the disparate threads of the book together.

Here is the Kirkus review.

This is the perfect book to nudge the writers in my care to "collect" poems on a favorite topic and to write a few of their own.  For now, I'm going to savor it with my students... let the words float through our minds and fill the air for a bit... like incense... and let the beauty of their simple words linger in our hearts and minds for a bit." All-en-a-day's work

Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters have another volume of poetry for young children - this one is illustrated by Polly Dunbar.

The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini

Tuesday Treasure

Hwei - the lightless moon on the last day of the month

Ming - becoming luminous

Hwei Ming is blind. Her father the emperor offers a reward to anyone who can help her to see. Visitors come from all over the kingdom with prayers, potions, pins, incantations and spells. Nothing works. One day an old man hears about the blind princess.  He sets off on a long journey carrying a walking stick made from "a single piece of golden wood."

On arrival at the city gates the guards refuse him entry. He looks so ragged and poor. The old man reaches out to touch the faces of guards and then he sits down with his stick and his whittling knife. He shows the guards his carving of the journey he has made to Peking from his home to these city gates. The guards are entranced. His storytelling and carving are wonderful. They take the old man inside the city to show the guards at the gates to the inner city and from there he is taken to the door of the Imperial Palace.

The guards tell the emperor about the wonderful pictures carved onto the golden stick. Hwei Ming is sitting beside her father and she hears the story. She asks to see the stick.

"The old man leaned forward and petted Hwei Ming's head and caressed her cheek. For though she was a princess, she was still a child."  Placing his fingers on hers he helps her trace the stick and "see" the story. "And the princess' slim fingers felt the carved stick. Then he put her fingers onto his face and traced the same lines there. It was the first time the princess had touched another person's face since she was a very small girl."

This is a pivotal moment. Hwei Ming asks to feel the faces of those around her - the guards who are waiting close by and then her father, the emperor.

"She reached out and her fingers ran eagerly through his hair and down his nose and cheek, and rested curiously on a tear they found there. And that was strange, indeed, for had not the emperor given up crying over such things when he ascended the throne?"

You have probably guessed the rest of the story. The emperor gives the reward to the old man, the old man can now live in the Innermost City but he gives away the fortune in jewels. Have you guessed the most important thing about the old man himself?

Jane Yolen is the author of over 300 books. On her web page she talks about writing or retelling this Chinese fairy tale.

The illustrations in this book by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini are exquisite. They begin in black, white and grey but move to full colour as the old man shares his stories. Some of the richest pages are laminated giving them a beautiful texture reminiscent of cloisonne.

Image Source Books4yourkids

If you have been following my blog you will know my Tuesday Treasures are usually books that are now out of print. This edition of The Seeing Stick was first published 2009 and so it is out of print as is the earlier edition from 1977 which had illustrations by Remy Charlip and Demetra Maraslis.

I would pair The Seeing Stick with these:

The Glassmaker's Daughter

The Most wonderful thing in the World

The Black book of Colours

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen illustrated by John Schoenherr

If you go owling

you have to be quiet

and make your own heat.

When you go owling

you have to be brave.

When you go owling

you don't need words

or warm

or anything but hope.

That's what Pa says.

Image source : https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/302185/owl-moon-by-jane-yolen/9780399214578/

Owl Moon is a book to treasure and revisit often. It is the perfect book to read on a quiet winter night even if you live (as I do) in a place where it never snows. Owl Moon was first published in 1987 and was the winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1988. Happy 30th Birthday Owl Moon!

Once again here is a book that perfectly demonstrates the ideal marriage of poetry or poetic language in a picture book.

Our feet crunched
over the crisp snow
and little grey footprints
followed us.
Pa made a long shadow
but mine was short and round.
I had to run after him
every now and then
to keep up,
and my short, round shadow
bumped after me.

Look at the word placement here. Our feet crunched. This is the perfect word for the sound of shoes on snow. I had to run every now and then - short legs and long strides - this gives the right rhythm to their walk. Her shadow bumped an echo of the shadow's round shape.

Here is another beautiful piece of poetic prose:

The moon was high above us.
It seemed to fit
exactly
over the centre of the clearing
and the snow below it
was whiter than the milk
in a cereal bowl.

I was amazed to discover you can read a Jane Yolen book every day of the year - yes she has 365 titles ranging from picture books, junior titles such as Sleeping Ugly, Middle Grade novels such as A Plague of Unicorns, adult books and non fiction.

If you have not seen this book try to find it in a library. Once you have read the printed book and looked at the beautiful illustrations take a look at this gentle video. Here are some teaching ideas.  Here is a magical song - listen to this after you read the book - I guarantee you will shiver.

The illustrations make you shiver from the cold and want to pull your scarf up over your mouth.  New York Times

In this extraordinary title, Jane Yolen captures the magical moment when two people come face to face with a wild creature, a beautiful owl in its natural habitat. She also explores, in simple words packed with imagery, the bond that connects the little girl and her father as they take a special journey under an Owl Moon. Looking Glass Review

Yolen hints at a philosophical overtone ("When you go owling you don't need words or warm or anything but hope. . .the kind of hope that flies on silent wings. . ."), but the shared experience of the mysterious, natural night-world seems the more important message of this lovely, quiet book. Kirkus 

A plague of unicorns by Jane Yolen

The making of the Unicorn

Take this bone, this ivory,

This slender pyramid, this spear,

This walking stick, this cornucopia,

This twisted instrument of fear,

This mammoth tusk, this pearly thorn,

This mythic spike, this maiden's bier,

This denticle, this rib of time,

This alabaster harrow - here

We start the beast, we give it name.

The world will never be the same.

When you read a book by Jane Yolen author of over 300 books (Owl Moon) you are immediately in the safe hands of a wonderful storyteller.  How can you go wrong with a book about unicorns?  One of my childhood favourites was The Little White horse by Elizabeth Gouge - and on a more recent re-reading it has certainly stood the test of time.

I love the chapter headings in this book A Plague of Unicorns :

1.  In which we are introduced to a short history of the unicorn plague
2. The short history of the unicorn plague part two
4.  In which James asks too many questions and gets too few answers

The plague is happening in the orchards of Cranford Abbey.  There are five different varieties of apple trees but the unicorns have discovered the prized golden Hosannah apples.  Each year, on their fall migration, they stop at the Abbey and feast on these precious apples - taking all but the few growing on the highest branches.

Abbot Aelian decides to send for the heroes but sadly, even though hundreds turn up, they all fail because none were prepared for the actual battle.

"You did not say it was a herd of unicorns.  ... A single hero cannot possibly face all of them."

Meanwhile little James is living in Castle Callander about fifty miles from the Abbey.  His is a curious boy and his constant questions frustrate every adult and most remain unanswered.  It is only his older sister Alexandria who will take the time to either answer him or take him to explore the castle library which is a fabulous place.

James asks questions like these :

Why does the sun rise in the morning?
Why do some babies sleep all the time and others not at all?
How can a country change its name?  Can I change my name?
Do roses come in black for funerals?
Why do maids dust things when it's dust they should be removing?

His uncle decides (even though James is very young) to send him to the Abbey where he might learn the value of silence.  Luckily for the Abbot, James is able to hold back a little on his questions and even though he his desperately homesick he listens to the discussions regarding the unicorn problem and he comes up with the perfect solution.

This is a slim book but I really enjoyed the setting, heroism and ingenious solution to the unicorn problem. After reading A plague of Unicorns an older reader might enjoy books by Tamora Pierce or John Flanagan.  We also have a little series of books by Jane Yolen about Merlin as a young boy.

After no success, the abbot finally calls upon the most unlikely of heroes, one suggested by no other than young James. That hero is small and unprepossessing but possesses the skill to tame the beasts. Though wildly skeptical, Abbot Aelian must risk everything and believe in this recommended stranger or risk the fall of Cranford Abbey.  KidsReads

Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen illustrated by Diane Stanley

About three weeks ago one class and I embarked on a journey towards the exploration of Sleeping Ugly.  Firstly we needed to talk about fairy tales - make lists of titles and characteristics.  Then we read one version of the original tale of Sleeping Beauty.  Next we watched a DVD of a storyteller retelling this famous tale using just his voice and facial expressions.  It was good to note some of the variations to the story such as the number of fairies who are invited to the famous christening.

Last week we read the first part of Sleeping Ugly and yesterday we predicted the ending, read the book right through to the end and then began work using a reader's theatre script of this funny and wise story.

"Princess Miserella was a beautiful princess if you counted her eyes and nose and mouth and all the way down to her toes.  But inside where it was hard to see she was the meanest, wickedest, and most worthless princess around."

One day Miserella becomes lost in the woods.  She meets a little old lady asleep under a tree. Miserella knows this lady is most probably a fairy in disguise. She kicks the old lady and demands to be taken home but instead the old lady takes Miserella to the home of Plain Jane.  Jane is kind and has very good manners so the fairy grants her three wishes.  Annoyingly for the reader Jane feels compelled to waste two of the wishes on the wretched Miserella.  Finally, as in the original version, everyone falls asleep until at the end of one hundred years Prince Jojo arrives.  "He saw three women asleep with spiderwebs holding them to the floor.  One of them was a beautiful princess.  Being the kind of young man who read fairy tales, Jojo knew just what to do."

I adore fractured fairy tales and this one, Sleeping Ugly, is one of my favourites.  We also have Sleeping Bobby in our library which is a fun reversal of the usual roles.  Our next book will be The Tough Princess which presents a very modern interpretation of living happily ever after.  You might like to read my post about other Princess stories and this review.