The Tough Princess by Martin Waddell illustrated by Patrick Benson

Tuesday Treasure

"Once upon a time ..."

A conventional fairy tale opening for a non conventional tale.

The king and queen no longer live in a castle. Fighting wars and losing badly means they are reduced to living in a caravan in the deep dark wood. When their baby daughter is born they decide she can rescue them. Of course they did expect the baby would be a boy!

Her mother explains: "She will grow up to be a beautiful princess. I will annoy a bad fairy and get the Princess into bother, and then a handsome prince will rescue her, and we'll all go off and live in his castle."

Naturally Princess Rosamund has a different plan and it involves a lot of biffing. She borrows a bike complete with decorative dice, stirrup pedals and a lantern and heads off to find a prince. "Rosamund had lots of adventures .... She did all the things a heroine ought to do, but she didn't catch her prince." Look closely to see these things on the cover illustration by Patrick Benson. You may know his work already from the famous book Owl Babies also by Martin Waddell.

Rosamund returns home. She looks around the forest and in a perfect twist she sees this sign

THIS WAY TO THE ENCHANTED PRINCE

and they "lived happily ever after, too."

I have loved this book for a long time and so I decided to purchase a used copy for myself because, yes you have already guessed, this book is sadly out of print. Tonight I made a startling discovery - my copy has been signed by Martin Waddell himself!

Another modern fairy tale about an assertive female, achiever, in this case leavened with the sort of ebullient good humor that sensibly whisks problems away as fast as they arise. Kirkus

In the late 1990s I completed some post graduate study in Children's Literature. For the final subject we were expected to complete a mini thesis (10,000-15,000 words) and this book - The Tough Princess was my inspiration. My topic - The Modern Princess Tale. I have surprised myself that I had not previously explored this book on my blog.

Some of the books referred to in my mini thesis:

• Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole
• The Worm and the Toffee Nosed Princess by Eva Ibbotson
• The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
• Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen
• The Karate Princess by Jeremy Strong
• The Princess who hated it by Robin Klein
• Snow White in New York by Fiona French

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.

Princess Smartypants and the missing princes by Babette Cole

I first read Princess Smartypants thirty years ago.  I loved it and gave a copy to a newly born young relative much to the consternation of her conservative grandfather.

I have always had the full set of Princess Smartypants books in our library along with so many other terrific titles by Babette Cole.

Sadly, just recently, we lost the wonderful Babette Cole.  Fortunately this new book was already published.  The format here is a junior novel with 130 pages and 8 chapters.

In this latest installment (more will follow this year) Princess Smartypants has a problem. Her friends Snowy (Snow White), Cindy (Cinderella) and Punzie (Rapunzel) arrive in a carriage.  They need a venue for their engagement party.  "Unfortunately, the princes (the girls were planning to marry) had very troublesome mothers who all wanted the official engagement party to be held at their own particular palace. The girls had decided to take the matter into their own hands..."

Princess Smartypants is given the guest list but one name is missing - Araminta Allspell.  Think of Sleeping Beauty and the consequences of rejecting the bad fairy.  On the night of the party the three princes fail to arrive. Princess Smartypants realises they have been taken by Araminta and so the chase begins.  Of course it all ends happily ever after!  Well sort of.

This is an easy reading little chapter book filled with recognizable fairy tale characters and madcap situations.  Good will triumph but only because Princess Smartypants uses her brain and problem solving power.

You might also enjoy The Tough Princess by Martin Waddell, The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry and The Pea and the Princess by Mini Grey.

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.

What's on my "to read" pile? Old books, new books, award winners and surprises

My "to read" pile never seems to grow any shorter. This month is no exception.

When Jays fly to Barbmo by Margaret Balderson (published in 1968)
Yes this is a very old book but a friend mentioned it with such passion I knew I had to find it. Luckily on Love Your Bookshop Day I found it.
Blurb : "Ingeborg's home was a farm on the remote island of Draugoy, in the far north of Norway ... then came the day when Ingeborg, out ski-ing with her dog Benne, glimpsed a strange vessel lurking in the fjord, and knew it for a German warship. The invasion of Norway had begun and the shadow of war fell over the island ... "

Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly - winner of the Newbery Medal
Blurb : "Virgil Salinas is shy and misunderstood. Valencia Somerset is clever and stubborn. Kaori Tamla tells fortunes and can read the stars. Chet Bullens is the biggest bully in the neighborhood. They aren't friends. They're practically strangers. But when Chet pulls an unthinkable prank on Virgil and his pet guinea pig, Gulliver, these four students are thrown together in incredible and surprising ways. Just a coincidence or are some things meant to be?"

Dolls of Hope by Shirley Parenteau
I loved Ship of Dolls so I am looking forward to  picking up this next installment.
Blurb : "All her life Chiyo Tamura has been told that honor is everything. When she shames her parents and is sent from her mountain village to a city school, she never dreams that she'll go from there to Tokyo to welcome more than twelve thousand Friendship Dolls from America. Or that she'll have a hand in crafting Miss Tokyo, one of the dolls to be sent in return."

Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart
I read and recommended The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart and one of the teachers in my school loved reading it as a serial story each day to her Grade 6 class. I am keen to read another title by this writer. Also, I do enjoy a good dog story! I am also keen to read this book because Kirkus said "Action-packed, highly suspenseful, and deeply moving. Perfect!"

Blurb : "Brodie was a good dog. And good dogs are supposed to spend the afterlife in peace. It's perfect: as far as the eye can see, with endless room to run, huge ponds to splash in, and all the smells you could ever want to smell. But Brodie can't enjoy it. As wonderful as it seems, he can't forget the boy he left behind - the boy he loved and who loved him in return. The boy who is still in danger."

Front Desk by Kelly Yang and a it received a Kirkus Star review
Blurb : "I used to think being successful meant having enough to eat, but now that I was getting free lunch at school, I wondered if I should set my standards higher. Ten year old Mia Tang moved to the US for a better, freer life, but so far, it's a life where she runs the front desks of a motel while her parents clean rooms And she's not even allowed to use the swimming pool."

Evangeline the wish keeper's helper by Maggie Alderson illustrated by Claire Fletcher
This one appealed to me because I was a big fan of Maggie's column in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Blurb : "Evangeline the toy elephant lies under the bed all day, waiting and waiting for something to happen. If only she could be useful somewhere ... Will her wish be granted?"

Not just another Princess story by Sheri Radford illustrated byQin Leng
Ever since I read The Tough Princess by Martin Waddell I have been attracted to 'feminist' fairy tales and this one sounds very promising.
Blurb : "Princess Candi is no ordinary princess. She loves to do math problems, her mother has been turned into a pickle, and she knows that not just any old prince is good enough for her. So when the king declares it is time for Candi to get married, she decides to carry out a husband search on her own. Not knowing how to find such a creature, she turns to fairy tales for inspiration. But can she really find her Prince Charming by kissing frogs, hosting dragon slaying competitions, and summoning a fairy godmother?"

Watch this space. I will talk in more detail about these titles over the coming weeks.

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch illustrated by Michael Martchenko

This book had such an impact on me as a young Teacher-Librarian when it was first published and I continue to be fascinated by books that I call the modern fairy tale. Other examples are Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole, The Tough Princess by Martin Waddell, The Frog Prince continued by Jon Scieszka and Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen.  I like these unconventional princesses who don't worry about clothes, court etiquette and most importantly are not fussed about marrying the prince and 'living happily ever after'.  This became the topic of my Post-Grad thesis.

The Paper Bag Princess was one of the first books I had read with this message - I might go as far as to say a feminist message. Elizabeth lives in the castle and her destiny is all mapped out.  She will wear pretty dresses and marry Prince Ronald.  Unfortunately a dragon attacks the castle and burns it down along with all and I mean all her dresses.  Elizabeth is forced to improvise and so uses the only object not burnt to cinders in the fire which surprisingly is a  paper bag.  Elizabeth now needs to chase the dragon because he has carried of Prince Ronald.

In the classic fairy tale form, Elizabeth puts the dragon through a series challenges. She uses flattery and takes advantage of the dragons huge ego.  She dares him to burn ten forests, then fifty forests and finally one hundred forests but how all his fire is spent.  "The dragon didn't even have enough fire left to cook a meatball."  Next she dares him to fly around the whole planet in ten seconds, then again but this time it takes twenty seconds because he is getting tired and finally the dragon collapses and falls asleep.

Elizabeth is now able to rescue Prince Roland but is reaction is totally unexpected :
"Elizabeth, you are a mess! You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag.  Come back when you are dressed like a real princess."

If you are new to this book you should stop now and think about how you might react to this tirade.  How should Elizabeth respond? Now grab the book and be ready to smile!

This book is so very famous it even has an entry in Wikipedia. There are videos and teaching ideas.  You can hear Robert Munch himself reading this book with such delightful expression. Here is a very deep analysis of the text and silly video and I even found a board game.

Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell illustrated by Jason Cockroft

Tuesday Treasure

for 

Christmas

"It was a cold winter's night.
Kind Ox lay in his stable
close to the side of the inn."

A dog comes by - an Old Dog. Kind Ox invites him in.

"There's always room for a little one here."

A cat comes by. Stray Cat is welcomed by Kind Ox and assured she is safe by Old Dog. The next visitor is a mouse. Small Mouse is also welcomed and assured of safety. Finally Tired Donkey arrives with Mary and Joseph. Tired Donkey brings Mary into the stable. A baby is born that night with all the animals watching over the new family.

"There's always room for a little one here."

Eloquent, accessible and moving in its simplicity Publisher's Weekly

The language used is simple but poetic.  The phrase, 'There's always room for a little one here,' is repeated on every spread, inviting the listener to join in. I love how the animals, who would be enemies outside the barn, are here united by their common need for warmth and shelter. An Awfully Big Blog Adventure


Room for a Little One was first published in 2004. I am happy to see it is still available but oddly there have been some minor changes to the cover. The differences between the fonts used here would make a good discussion point for an older group of students. You could also talk about the use of subtitles. Does this cover need to say "A Christmas Tale"?

The illustrations in this book are so beautiful - you almost want to stroke them.  For art students they would be an excellent way to explore the use of light and shade. When you pick up this book take your time -  read slowly.  Then go back and look at the eyes of these animals. They are so expressive. Jason Cockcroft is famous but you may not know his name. He was the illustrator of the covers for these three Harry Potter books.

Here are some other books illustrated by Jason:

Martin Waddell is also very famous. I am sure you know his name and some of his most loved books such as Owl Babies, Farmer Duck, The Tough Princess, The Hidden House, the Little Bear series, and The Park in the Dark.

Tuesday Treasures - the list

Today is not Tuesday but I thought I might list here the books I plan to include in my Tuesday Treasures posts over the coming months. This list will help me plan my posts and hunt for books to borrow from my friend's wonderful school library and I do have a few in my own collection too. There are a range of Picture Books here from those you might read to children aged 3-5 right through to titles for a senior primary class and beyond.

In Australian school libraries the term for removing books from a collection is weeding. Weeding is an important library housekeeping procedure to make space for new books and to remove damaged copies but  hidden among the huge piles of weeding, teachers and teacher librarians, have to keep an eye for for treasures.

Very sadly these titles have recently been weeded from my former library.  I hope to use these Tuesday Treasure posts to alert others to the value of each of these titles and in the hope another library might decide to keep these very special books. Some are personal favourites, some have quite important syllabus links, some allow a teacher or teacher librarian to explore the body of work by a particular author or illustrator (especially those by an Australian) and some are just perfect books to read aloud to a class either for a purpose (such as bullying) or just to read for fun. Nearly all of these books are out of print.

Aktil’s Bicycle Ride by Inga Moore

Aktil’s big swim by Inga Moore

Albert and Lila by Rafik Schami

Anno’s mysterious multiplying jar by Anno

At home with Tom and Pippo by Helen Oxenbury

Bad hare day by Miriam Moss

Banjo and Ruby Red Red Libby Gleeson

Barty’s Scarf by Sally Chambers

Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka

Bear goes to town Anthony Browne

The blue balloon Mick Inkpen

A book of Letters by Ken Wilson-Max

The boy with two shadows Margaret Mahy

Can I keep him: stories about pets 

Catkin by Antonia Barber

Clouds by Peggy Blakeley

Come on rain by Karen Hesse

Daisy by Brian Wildsmith

Dreadful David by Sally Odgers

Eight by Lynn Lee

Elizabeth and Larry by Marilyn Sadler

Elizabeth Larry and Ed by Marilyn Sadler

Francie’s paper puppy by Achim Broger

A house for Wombats by Jane Burrell

Humphrey’s bear by Jan Wahl

I like books Anthony Browne

Jody’s beans by Malachy Doyle

Katherine and the garbage dump by Martha Morris

Laura’s star by Klaus Baumgart

Leaving Mrs Ellis by Catherine Robinson

Little bear’s little boat by Eve Bunting

Little big feet by Ingrid and Deiter Schubert

The loud book by Deborah Underwood

The mice next door by Anthony Knowles

Mouse paint by Ellen Walsh

Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh

The magic dictionary Bruce Whatley

Marty and Mei Ling by Phil Cummings

Motor Bill and the Lovely Caroline by Jenny Wagner

The mouse with the too long tail by Bani McSpedden

My brown bear Barney by Dorothy Butler

Nana upstairs and Nana downstairs by Tomie dePaola

Suzie and Alfred in the night of the paper bag monsters Helen Craig

Out and about with Tom and Pippo by Helen Oxenbury

Pancakes for Findus by Sven Nordqvist

The park in the dark by Martin Waddell

Patricia by Stephen Michael King

Pig pig grows up by David McPhaill

A pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman

Princess Beatrice and the rotten robber by Elizabeth Honey

Q Pootle 5 by Nick Butterworth

Q Pootle 5 in Space by Nick Butterworth

The quiet book by Deborah Underwood

A rabbit named Harris by Nan Hunt

Zoom by Istvan Banyai

Re-Zoom by Istvan Banyai

Rude Ramsay and the roaring radishes by Margaret Attwood

Rummage by Christobel Mattingley

The sad little monster and the jelly bean queen by Kym Lardner

Sam and the Tigers by Julius Lester

Shock Monday by Gillian Bradshaw

So few of me by Peter Reynolds

Special days with Honey and Bear by Ursula Dubosarsky

Six Dinner Sid a Highland adventure by Inga Moore

Sloppy Kisses by Elizabeth Winthrop

Snow White in New York by Fiona French

Sorry Miss Folio by Jo Furtado

Squiggle Diddle plop! by Guundie Kuchling

Stanza by Jill Esbaum

The story of Chicken Licken by Jan Ormerod

Susie and Alfred in a welcome for Anne by Helen Craig

Tenrec’s twigs by Bert Kitchen

Ten tiny things by Meg McKinlay

The time it took Tom by Nick Sharratt

Timothy and Gramps by Ron Brooks

Tin Lizzie and little Nell by David Cox

The tip at the end of the street by Tohby Riddle

Tom and Pippo go for a walk by Helen Oxenbury

Tom and Pippo make a mess by Helen Oxenbury

Tom and Pippo read a story by Helen Oxenbury

The tooth fairy by Peter Collington

The tough Princess by Martin Waddell

The trip to Panama by Janosch

Tucking Mummy in by Morag Loh

Vote for Duck by Doreen Cronin

The weird things in Nanna’s house by Ann Maree Mason

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

What sort of Day? by Sally Heinrich

Whatever by William Bee

You’re all animals by Nicholas Allen

Somebody and the three Blairs by Marilyn Tolhurst

Cornelius P Mud series by Barney Saltzberg

Baloney Henry P by Jon Scieszka

Black Dog by Christabel Mattingley

The Boss by Alan Baillie

Grace Notes by Karen Comer

The only reason I gave this book four stars is because it has a very Melbourne setting and so I am not sure how well it will be understood in other parts of Australia and this probably limits sending the book to other English speaking countries. 

On the other hand this book is a splendid study of our modern times as we all negotiated Covid-19 and lockdowns, and daily government updates, and possibly even the death of a loved one. I do wish I could give it five stars because I found this story utterly engrossing. 

Grace is the third daughter in a high achieving family. Her father plays the violin beautifully but he gave up his dream to be a musician and became a communications trainer. But music is in her soul just as it is for her grandmother Ettie who was one a member of the symphony. Her mother is an international lawyer and as the story opens she has left for Italy. The date is 28th February, 2020 and the world is becoming concerned about a virus in China. Listen to the music Grace plays with her dad. 

Crux (James Michael Cruz) is an artist - he uses spray cans to create his huge works but for now he is limited to art on the garage wall because he is not allowed to buy spray cans until he is eighteen. His work is not tagging it is art. His father is a television cameraman so he is right in the thick of daily updates and news about Covid. He is also a youth counsellor. His mother loves crystals but she works as a nurse and so is all caught up in all the Covid panic, procedures and confusion.

Crux sees a YouTube video of Grace with her violin. He is invited by some street artists to assist with a huge commission piece in the city and when one guy fails to turn up, the other invite Crux to paint the violin girl.

This story is told in two voices, and it is a verse novel so it is filled with emotion. It is obvious from the beginning that Crux and Grace will meet but they will also have to navigate parents and the pandemic. The title has two meanings - grace notes are a part of music - optional but important and often beautiful. There are lots of notes in this book as Grace and Crux negotiate their new relationship, friendships and parents. They need to draw on grace to accept rules and change. They also have to convince their parents that even though they are both only fifteen they are old enough to make their own life decisions. 

"My violin always feels warm,

like there's still a breath in it

from the spruce trees,

from the maple tree,

living wood

cut down, carved out

to create a stringed voice.

There's still a life-force that sings

that can't ever be suppressed,

even when my violin lies alone in its case."

"Mum never let us wear

Disney princess dress-ups.

She never let us read

the pink-and-purple-coloured books

-a dozen in a series - 

with stories

about princesses who waited for princes

to rescue them.

So when we played princesses,

we rescued princes but refused to marry them,

fought dragons with homemade swords ... "

Huge thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy. Grace Notes was published on 1st February, 2023. I highly recommend this book as a terrific addition to a High School library especially one in Melbourne or Victoria but perhaps in other parts of Australia too. I'm sure teenagers will know the name Dan Andrews and many will vividly remember zoom lessons and lockdowns and even the toilet paper stampedes. 

I can’t recommend this stunning debut novel highly enough. It explores the challenges imposed by the pandemic but is also a beautiful rendering of how much we need art to sustain us during tough times. This highly accessible story will inspire readers to think about art and its role in society. For ages 12+. Readings Melbourne

"Six days later Dan the man is up for his presser,

North Face jacket,

grim determination on his face.

I watch him from my laptop in bed,

still in my pyjamas ...

I already know what he's going to say.

He will tell Victorians,

the deflated Victorians,

the number of cases 

in the preceding twenty-four hours - 274 -

the number of death in the preceding twenty-four hours

from coronavirus - 

nine."

"Mum's face has almost permanent lines

from her PPE.

The AFL players catch planes with their families.

play footy for us.

We judge daily numbers

on whether Dan Andrews

is wearing his North Face or his suit.

We are over sourdough bread."

Picture Book Month Day 13

 Featured author - Martin Waddell

I almost impossible to select my favourite Martin Waddell book. I have read Owl Babies to so many groups of Kindergarten children for twenty-five years and it is one of my "go to books" when I gift books to a new baby. Then there is The Tough Princess which was the book that inspired my Masters degree thesis topic - 'The Modern Fairy Tale'.  I also love the quiet stories of The Hidden House and The Big Big Sea. The Park in the Dark is always my suggestion when little children request a 'scary story' in the library and Farmer Duck is such a terrific book to read aloud, but I have decided to select Can't you sleep Little Bear illustrated by Barbara Firth. I love the patience of Big Bear and the beautiful wisdom he uses to help Little Bear overcome his fear of the dark. When I shared this book in my library I even had a lantern with a tiny tea light candle! And I own a sweet little 3D play book based on this text.

 

Waddell's charming narration has the grace and economy of old nursery tales. Using frames of mellow slate blue, Firth sets her pencil and watercolor illustrations beneath gentle arches that suggest the cave's interior, comfortably accommodating the text among vignettes and larger spreads. ...  there are delightful domestic details to explore, but the bears are best of all. Perfect for bedtime, or anytime.  Kirkus

Here are the other books in the series. Many are now out of print but I am sure you will find copies in a library and these books also often turn up at charity shops and charity book sales: