Princess of Dawn by Megan Gilbert

"I hope to be the queen you always wanted me to be."

Bookseller blurb: Galdinia Elderwin, the nineteen-year-old Princess of Crysterra, has lived in the safety of her father’s shadow her whole life. When the king unexpectedly dies, Galdinia is left with the task of becoming queen, but she is missing the key to her ascension to the throne: her gift of elemental power from the Gods. After the king’s death, the capital of Crysterra observes the Week of Mourning, which is full of ceremonies and celebrations in honour of the late king, and on the Seventh Day of Mourning, Princess Galdinia is set to be coronated as queen. In the span of one week, Galdinia must navigate the throes of training for a gift she has not yet been given, gain the respect of the capital’s Syndicate—who still view her as a child—and overcome the heartache of past forbidden love as she is presented with five powerful and charming suitors who could help legitimise her claim to the throne. All the while, she is wary of her enemies on the horizon—her loathsome uncle and aunt, and the exiled Valah Pyrin—who all believe they have a claim to the throne and would do anything to take it from the young princess. Galdinia struggles to deal with the rising pressure and anxieties of becoming queen on her own merit, doing right by the citizens of Crysterra, and having faith in the Gods, and more importantly, herself.

Let's begin with the dedication:

To every woman that has ever been told she isn't enough. You are more than enough. Don't let a broken system stop you from wearing your crown; use you crown to fix the system.

Here are the parts of this story that I enjoyed/appreciated:

• the story pace - this is helped by the story structure where we follow the seven days of events following the death of the King Bartemus.
• the small reveals that made me very suspicious of Bentley such as when he gives her the hair clip and it feels cold and also the scene at the ball when we learn his parents have not attended and Draec Wrynn (father of suitor Evarius) questions Bentley's credentials. (page 197) - from this scene onward I became very suspicious of this smooth operator.
• the hints of political intrigue between the different parts of the realm and even in her own staff.
• does the monarch really hold power or will he/she in fact be a puppet of the Syndicate?
• the strong character descriptions of the contenders for the crown.
• the inclusion of a map.
• the story tension as I desperately waited for Galdinia to be granted her gift - water weaver, fire flourisher or wind wielder. 
• the heroism of the final battle scenes - a princess not afraid to really fight (like a phoenix).
• descriptions of the table setting on day six and the food prepared by Miss Giles.
• I like the inventive names of the five suitors - Kaedric Novus; Lord Evarius Wrynn; Dillian Othid; Kell Ly; and Lord Bentley.
• I also liked the descriptions of the three objects (page 116) during her training sessions.
• Galdinia grows in confidence - especially when she finally confronts Valah.

Questions for Megan

• Did you consider including the royal crest - the Elderwin crest on your book cover?
• Why is this book called Princess of Dawn?
• Page 101 you use the word 'okay' - did you consider any other word choices - this word startled me. And the word 'marsupial' on page 341 also surprised me.

This book has terrific character descriptions - the bold words imply so much:

Draven (brother of the King); "He looked much like his brother - olive skin, dark hair and eyes - but his features were far harsher. As the years of animosity wore on him, his face became somehow sharper."

Edana (wife of Draven): "Locks of her dark brown hair had fallen from her usually pristine bun; she was too distracted to notice her hair's disobedience."

Drystan Allard (first love of Galdinia): "The front pieces of his otherwise neatly tamed mop of chestnut brown hair fell in his eyes as he came to a halt before his friends. The sunlight radiated off his onyx armour, somehow making him glow more brilliantly than he already did in Galdinia's eyes ... At the sight of his kind eyes and gentle smile, Galdinia could feel the warmth of summer ... "

Valah (banished daughter of the former ruler and contender for the crown): "Valah had silently approached Galdinia from behind before speaking, her voice hissing her final word."

I really appreciated the way Megan Gilbert tried to break the usual princess/fairy tale tropes. I love that the Princess is a very skilled archer. You need to know the quote below will be overturned - thank goodness.

"And now at nineteen, Galdinia was slapped in the face with the rude awakening that queen could have their husbands chosen for them. And what was worse: she might not be able to be queen without a king."

"Although Galdinia didn't revel in violence, she was fascinated by the strategy of armies ..."

I have been following Megan Gilbert and her progress with her debut book for a year. I am in awe of her energy and promotion (Facebook; Instagram). She also ran a preorder campaign on Pozible! Scroll down to see her supporter offers and also her book publishing budget. Megan has thanked her supporters at the back of the book.  Her book is self-published and print on demand and is also available from Amazon as an e-book. I actually read the e-book and the print book. With an e-book I like to mark passages I want to re-visit or quote on my blog and Megan had a special price offer for her e-book for less than $4. This book is also available from some local Australian booksellers. Megan also made some merchandise to go with her book - a banner for bookfairs and bookmarks with a QR code.

In the interests of disclosure, I need to say the author of this book is the daughter of a friend and she kindly gifted this book for me last Christmas. The story really held my attention and I read it over the course of one day (343 pages). 

I work in the library at Westmead Children's Hospital and I did wonder about adding this book to our collection. The recommended age for this book is 15+ but I think it might better suit a slightly older reader. The main character is aged 19. For myself I did find the references to heavy drinking a little confronting (I was reading as a reviewer of Middle Grade and some YA titles) and there is an indirect and very minor reference to suicide (page 277). The official content warnings are: anxiety and panic attacks, battles and hand-to-hand combat, blood, death, including that of family members, misogyny, and murder.

Megan Gilbert offers her readers lots of extras on her beautifully designed web page - pronunciation guide, playlist, and a media package. She has held a few in-person events with book readings and interviews, and she even offered an annotated version of her book as part of a competition. This book is the first in a planned trilogy but I am happy to say enough is resolved at the end of the first installment so readers can rest easy and wait until later in the year for Book two. Fingers crossed her true love is rescued and by book three I'm sure there will be that all important 'they all lived happily ever after.'

Honk, Honk! Hold tight by Jessica Souhami

"I will share my kingdom with anyone who can make Princess Alice laugh."

Many people try but they all fail. Then along comes young Peter and as you might expect he is poor but also kind and honest. On the way to the palace, he sees an elderly lady who is tired and hungry. He gives her his bread and wine - I told you he was kind. YES of course, this is a fairy tale or should we call it a folktale? To repay this kindness the old woman reveals a golden goose under her cloak.

"Tuck this magic goose under your arm and carry it to the palace, where you will be rewarded."

As he travels along the road a woman reaches out and touches the fine feathers of the goose and immediately she is stuck. Seeing the problem a man on the road takes hold of the woman but - YES - he is now stuck. And so the procession is formed. Honk honk! Hold tight. A chain of people now travel behind young Peter. Can you guess what happens when Princess Alice sees this huge procession of characters? Yes she does laugh and YES they do get married (it is a fairy tale after all) but there is one delicious twist - it is Alice who proposes to Peter and he says YES!

"And they lived merrily ever after."

Notice the goose on the cover - the image above doesn't show this properly but the goose is actually gold foil. The end papers are filled with gold feathers. 

Bookseller blurb: This very funny folktale tells about the princess who will not laugh. Her father says he will give her hand in marriage to the man who can make her laugh â?? and one boy plus a golden goose set off to the palace to try their luck? As they go along, the animals and people they meet all try to steal one of the golden goose's feathers â?? and they stick fast to the goose. "Honk Honk Hold Tight!" says the boy, and the whole parade soon ends up at the palace. What will the princess do? A fabulous read-aloud, laugh-out-loud story that has its origins in Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK, with variants discovered in Russia and Egypt.

Check my earlier post about Jessica Souhami. I should not have been surprised to discover the library I visit each week had so many books written and illustrated by Jessica Souhami including this one. 

Here are some other books about Princesses or daughters of wealthy men which include a set of challenges to find a prince and/or to make the princess smile or laugh or in some way be restored.

The Glassmaker's Daughter

The Seeing Stick

The Most Wonderful thing in the World

The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup

With all the people stuck to each other you might also like to revisit this classic story or a variation:

Grey Island Red Boat by Ian Beck

 

Princess Opal lives on an island where everything is grey. The sky, the land, the buildings and even the sea. One day a small boat appears and it is red. The boat carries a stranger who brings the magic of colour but the King does not like this magic and he orders the guards to throw this boy - Wendell Lightfoot - into the castle dungeon. Opal hatches a plan to set her new friend free but can this pair escape the King? And what do the people of the town think about all the colours they can now see in their world.  The rainbow on the cover might give you a hint of that all important happy ending. 

My only very tiny quibble with this charming love story comes at the end because Opal still appears to be grey - the magic touch of colour has not changed her - I wonder why?

This is a profound new fairy tale which reveals how hope and light can manifest in even dire circumstances and the possibilities of bringing them into your life permanently. Ian Beck's illustrations, partly realised in silhouette, are very beautiful. Book Trust

The book's also the right size and weight for small hands. It's not just a book either - under the front flap there's a picture to colour in and under the back flap there a 'spot the difference' puzzle ... The Book Bag

This is an original story but it reads like an elegant European fairytale. The beautifully written text, laden with references to precious stones, flows from one page to another, complimenting the gorgeous, retro illustrations. An Awfully Big Blog Adventure

I highly recommend these early chapter books called Little Gems published by Barrington Stoke. This one has eight very short chapters, 80 pages and is well set out with plenty of space between paragraphs. It is dyslexia friendly but really any young reader will enjoy this gem!

Every school should have Little Gems books they manage to bring together the very best children’s authors and illustrators to create the most amazing range of books. Book Lover Jo

The Bakery of Happiness

The Bad Trousers

Madam Squeaker

The First Third Wish

The Lighthouse Princess by Susan Wardell illustrated by Rose Northey

"The princess lived in a tower by the sea. She wasn't sad and she wasn't stuck."

Her tower home is a lighthouse. The princess loves to fish, collect shells, swim and make paper planes. 

"She wasn't even lonely ... Well maybe a little bit."

One day during a wild storm, she sees a young boy in a little boat and he is in danger. When she pulls him to the shore the boy, who has just been rescued, asks the princess - "Do you need rescuing from the tower?"

Are you thinking of Rapunzel? Does she need rescuing or is there another possible outcome for this new fairy tale? I am not going to spoil the story but I can say ...  And yes they both lived ...

Happily ever after

My wonderful "library" friend gave me this book for my birthday last week because she knows I LOVE lighthouses and I believe in fairy tales. This book was the most perfect present ever!

The Lighthouse Princess won The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award from New Zealand. Here is the web site for Rose Northey who is a performance poet. Susan Wardell is an anthropologist and also an poet. Here is an interview with Susan where she talks about writing this book. 

The Storylines Gavin Bishop Award was established in 2009. The award aims to encourage the publication of new and exciting high-quality picture books from new New Zealand illustrators. ... The award is open only to previously unpublished illustrators.

Take a close look at the cover of this book - I love the way it shows the confidence of the princess and the wild waves that surround her lighthouse. But the illustration below there is a hint about her wishes and dreams. 

Here are some versions of Rapunzel which you might like to explore.  I would also be tempted to revisit The Paperbag Princess and perhaps The Tough Princess along with lots of picture books about living in a lighthouse.

The Wintrish Girl by Melanie La'Brooy

"After eleven long years, the most famous day in the Empire of Arylia had returned. Today would be filled with celebrations and feasting and the all-important Talisman ceremony, during which young Arylians would be matched to their lifelong Talismans by the powerful Casket of Fate."

So lets look more closely at this text quote:

What are the Talismans? They can be any kind of useful object - a weapon, clothing even a musical instrument. each one is linked with magic or marvellance. Talismans allow citizens to defeat the Malevolents.

How does the Casket of Fate work?  On the day of the ceremony, every child reaches into the casket and takes out their talisman. Seraphine will not pull out a talisman. Instead she will receive the Orb and Scpetre which gives her power as a future ruler.

Who is Penn? How is she connected with Princess Seraphine? Penn is a knot sister. Princess Seraphine is too young to rule so for now Regent Gertrude is in charge. A knot sister is a child born on the same day as the Princess. Up until now Penn has lived in the castle and shared lessons with Seraphine. Now Penn lives with Goody - an old woman - she is from Wintrish but she can still talk. All other Wintrish are mute - they are The Grey Ones. Penn and Seraphine wear knot bracelets. These cannot be destroyed or removed. Penn is now training in Quintessence or spell making because she has been banished from the palace. 

Things to fear - the Panthera - a great beast that sleeps at the foot of the throne. This creature is kept asleep using Marvellance. The lava river. 

Non Human Characters - the Clock Immemorial. It is given to strange pronouncements that oddly might be true. A dragon who is afraid, desperately afraid of unicorns. Bestials - a half and half creature such as half Bloodhound and half Vampire Bat. Implings - small creatures with webbed feet, bat-like ears and shrill voices. The Huggle Beast named Ned. He is a true friend. 

Eslit -  the ruling council of Ayrlia. There are thirteen members and each belong to one of the Talismanic Guilds - weapons, treasure, lore and art. 

This is a new children's book by Australian author Melanie LaBrooy and it will be published by UQP tomorrow. Do you like the cover?  I'm not so sure this cover will entice young readers to pick up this book but I do hope I am wrong. With over 400 pages The Wintrish Girl is a long book but it is a rewarding one. I enjoyed the world building, the small touches of humour, the heroism of Penn and the loyalty of her new friends Juniper and Arthur. This book has been created by someone with an enormous imagination. 

The Wintrish Girl will be enjoyed by fans of Nevermoor - The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend along with these:

The Trials of Morrigan Crow

The Wild Magic Trilogy

The Girl who Drank the Moon

Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld

Don’t miss this one. It’s irresistible. Seven Impossible things before Breakfast

 

One of the best things that can happen when you read a picture book is when the story takes a twist or a left turn that you did not see coming - a gasp aloud moment.  That is exactly what happened to me reading The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess.

The king and queen have no children. Yes we have read that in other classic fairy tales such as Thumbelia; The Fisherman and his Wife; and Tom Thumb. In this modern story the king consults with the royal inventor and the queen visits a clever old witch. Can you match this with the title? Yes the inventor makes a little wooden robot and, using a log from her wood pile, the witch makes a perfect little log princess. 

Both children are deeply loved but there is a small catch. When the log princess falls asleep each night she turns back into a log. Each morning it is vital to wake her with the magic words:

"Awake, little log, awake."

So every morning the wooden robot, her brother, carefully wakes up the log princess and then they enjoy their happy day together until ...  

Of course, like all great stories, we need a complication. Reading on, we discover that one morning the robot boy has been distracted by the arrival of circus. The maid can only see a log lying on the bed. Oh no! She tosses the log out of the window.  The log ends up in a wheelbarrow and then it is put onto a barge. 

"The robot ran to the barge. 'Please sir,' he said to the captain. 'My special log is in your barge. May I come aboard and search for it?"

Unfortunately the captain must set off for the far north. The robot does not find his sister on the journey so he is left on the shore with the huge pile of logs in a very cold place far, far from home. Luckily, late on the first night he finds the log that is his sister. Unluckily the pair are a very long way from their parents - the king and queen. And adding to the tension,  the robot decides it might be too frightening for his sister to awaken in this freezing place so he places her in a handcart and sets off home. 

In a series of small frames page we, the reader, are given a tiny glimpse of the little wooden robot's adventures. He encounter a Giant's Key, A Queen of Mushrooms, an Old Lady in a bottle and a Family of Robbers.  All of these could be used as writing inspiration with your students. 

Pulling the handcart is so exhausting and the wooden robot eventually collapses. 

"With the last of his strength he said the magic words."

Now it is his turn to ride in the handcart and again in a series of small frames we glimpse anther set of adventures. The log princess encounters some mischievous pixies, a haunted well, an enormous blackbird and a baby in a rosebush. 

Now for my oh no moment. As night falls the princess stops. She tries to stay awake but, yes you may have guessed, she turns back into a log. 

Meanwhile the king and queen are desperate to find their precious children. Luckily a family of beetles have been living inside the wooden robot. But is there a way the tiny insects can save the day?  And will we reach that all important happy ending?

You can see other pages from this book on Tom Gauld's web page. See more work by adult cartoonist Tom Gauld on his Instagram page. 

These are endearing characters. They hold a deep and abiding love for one another that never comes across as cloying. It’s a story with heart and adventure, and the stakes are high here. It will leave young readers gasping (the maid throws the log, who is really the princess, out of the window?!), eagerly turning pages to learn what will happen next ...  Seven Impossible things before Breakfast.

Gauld’s fairy tale feels both timeless and completely new; utterly fresh, yet like a story heard long ago and finally found again.  Enchanting. Kirkus Star review

But unlike traditional tales, this narrative contains no malevolent characters. Bad luck sets the plot spinning, and sibling love and the kindness of strangers help set everything to rights. The pictures demonstrate Gauld’s genius with simple-seeming line drawings and the crisp, clean use of ­cartoon-panel page design. Horn Book

The publisher of this book in the UK is Templar.  Here is a cake they had made to celebrate the publication of this book!

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

Happy Birthday to The Paperbag Princess

Born 1980 turning 40 this year

Party date 7th March 

Location - various bookshops in US and Canada such as Woozles in Halifx

When a dragon burns down her castle Elizabeth is left with nothing except a paper bag. She bravely sets out to rescue Prince Ronald who has been carried off by the dragon. She finds Ronald who is held captive by the dragon in a cave. Elizabeth challenges the dragon to demonstrate his extraordinary powers. She appeals to his vanity, setting him three challenges. Eventually he collapses exhausted. Elizabeth is able to rescue Ronald but instead of being grateful all he can do is criticise her appearance! Elizabeth is not defeated. She has the final and very appropriate word for the vain and pompous Ronald! He is a 'bum'.

I first talked about The Paper Bag Princess in 2012.  Robert Munsch was born in the US and now lives in Canada. He is the author of over 65 books. His first book Mud Puddle (1979) is one I love to read aloud but The Paperbag Princess is probably his most famous title. Here is a video where Robert talks about his book. Take a look at my previous post about Princess stories.

Resources

• Audio Book
• Teaching ideas
• Linking the text with philosophical thinking

Other Princess stories I adore:

The Threads of Magic by Alison Croggan

Pip (Pipistrel Wastan) is a pickpocket living off his wits on the streets of a city that feels like 18th century London but is fact an invented city called Clarel. Late one evening Pip sees two men attacked in a dark alley in a poor part of the city. A small box slips from a pocket and Pip pounces. Back at home, with his sister, the pair examine this elaborately decorated silver box. At first it seems they will not be able to open the box. Pip and El (Eleanor Wastan) are sure it must contain real treasure. Finally El suggests Pip should ask the box politely.  "All right then. Please, box, let me open you up."

There is a tiny click and the box opens to reveal something very strange. It looks like a small shrivelled-up heart. 

Who is the owner of this object?
Why was it in such a special box?
What is happening to Pip - the heart feels as though it is alive?

This object is indeed very valuable. There is a man, not the King of Clarel, who desperately wants this heart. When people look directly into the eyes of Cardinal Lamir they see some thing utterly horrible. The Princess also sees this in the eyes King Oswald who has come from Awemt intending to take Princess Georgette as his bride. Both men have eyes that are empty, empty without a soul.

Good and evil are at the heart of this story as Pip, El, Oni who is the daughter of a witch, Princess Georgette and the owner of the heart, Clovis, race to discover the truth, race to stay alive and race to save the whole kingdom.

There are 379 pages in this book and I almost read it from page one to the end in one sitting..  Yes, as I have said before when I gobble up a book, this means I loved it and yes, this book is THAT good. You will need to wait until March 2020 to pick up a copy of this book but I do suggest you add it to your shopping or 'to read' list right now.

The publisher, Walker Books, list this title for ages 9+ but I would suggest it will better suit an older reader of 10 or 11+.  The torture scenes are quite disturbing, there is a gruesome murder, there are elaborate details of court politics and the final battle between Lamir and Oswald is violent. The vocabulary used in this book is also quite sophisticated and I think beyond the understanding of a reader aged 9.

Here are a few examples of the vocabulary: intimidating, incalculable, uncanny, sensual, rampant, rustics, assailant, unerringly, domicile and grimoires.

I am excited to have found this book. Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my Advanced Reader Copy.  The Threads of Magic is sure to be a 2021 CBCA Notable title and possibly short listed for our Australian Book of the Year award.

I would follow or pair this book with The Book without Words by Avi; The Boy who flew by Fleur Hitchcock; The Barnaby Grimes series by Paul Stewart; and for a very mature reader Fire Girl by Matt Ralphs.

Princess Beatrice and the Rotten Robber by Elizabeth Honey

Tuesday Treasure

Princess Beatrice is a little girl who doesn’t need rescuing by a prince – but unlike many ‘independent princess’ stories, the handsome prince doesn’t even make an appearance. Where the Books Are

A robber sees the door to the castle is open. There is a room filled with jewels in this castle. It has become a play room for the princess.  Princess Beatrice loves to try on as many of the beautiful jewels as she fit on her arms, head and neck. When the robber comes face to face with little Beatrice she looks like a Christmas Tree. He sweeps her up and rides off into the forest.

This robber has totally underestimated little Beatrice. She twists her bracelet into handcuffs, clips his boots together, and strangles him with a jeweled choker. Now she needs to find her way home. Luckily, as we know from the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, there is a trail to follow not of breadcrumbs but of spilled jewels. She hauls the robber onto his horse and sets off step by step. Her parents are overjoyed when she finally reaches home and as a punishment the robber is made "head cleaner and polisher of the royal treasures." It is a very happy ending.

Princess Beatrice and the Rotten Robber is my Tuesday Treasure because of the connection with another book by Elizabeth Honey. The plot of What do you think Feezal? cross references Princess Beatrice and the Rotten Robber which is why I would have kept this little picture book from 1988 in my former library. Sadly it has recently been weeded (culled).

Elizabeth Honey says: She’s a feisty little princess who provided inspiration for ‘What do you think, Feezal?’

This is one of those little books that could easily be overlooked, and of course it is long out of print, but the story is good fun, the heroine is brave and the illustrations are filled with warmth.  Here is a video of the story. Not sure about the way the narrator says the word 'castle'.

Image source: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/105945/

Another book with a similar feisty heroine which you could pair with Princess Beatrice is Bossyboots by David Cox.