Wonderland Exhibit

Found at Fairy stories come to life at Museum of Childhood:

KIDS saw their favourite stories come to life as an exhibition of contemporary artwork showing fairytales, myths and legends from around the world opened at the Museum of Childhood.

The exhibition includes work by East End-based printmakers inspired by well-known European tales, including much-loved favourites like Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, and the Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen.

Around 50 artists from Hackney-based East London Printmakers are exhibiting their work at the museum in Cambridge Heath Road and visitors are able to create their own interpretations of fairytales to add to a mural.

You can read more about the exhibit and related activities at the Museum of Childhood website. There are workshops and activities planned for children, adults, and pairings of both.


According to the East London Printmakers website:

Our touring exhibition about fairytales, myths and legends from around the world has returned from the German Fairytale Museum in Bad Oeynhausen and the Brothers Grimm [Brueder Grimm] Museum in Kassel and will include work by 10 new artists.

The Printmakers site had a link for a catalogue but the PDF file was corrupted. I'm trying to learn more--perhaps get some imagery to share--and will post more if and when I learn more.

And this is yet another reason why I wish I was traveling to England this year.

Jack and the Beanstalk Jewelry

Today I am sharing surprising finds, Jack and the Beanstalk related jewelry, either direct or indirect through design or marketing. I say surprising because this tale tends to be considered more of a "boy" story and thus isn't often interpreted for jewelry. (No arguments about stereotypes, just stating the facts!) I provide links to sources but by no means do I endorse any of these sellers having no experience with them. I'm simply sharing the images and links for the curious. And because with some, such as the Etsy designers, I'm inspired by their work.


These make me wish allergies didn't prevent me from having pierced ears. Sigh.... These were also available several places online, but I liked the description at this site best.

Jack and the Beanstalk vine accent earring: Relive your childhood when you wear this whimsical ear Jack and the Beanstalk ear cuff and it's vine accent earring. The designer suggests that you wear the vine accent earring on the right ear to compliment the Jack and the Beanstalk ear cuff or consider ordering a pair of the vine earrings for a more elaborate statement. This does not include the ear cuff pictured.

These Jack and the Beanstalk earrings --handmade and offered on Etsy by amoronia--feature illustrations by Walter Crane. (She has some other surprises like Cinderella, Frog Prince, and Little Red Riding Hood, too. Love!)


3D JACK & THE BEANSTALK Charm: Currently available on Ebay in silver or gold. Once again, available a few places on the internet, but this time I prefer Ebay as a more reputable resource.


Another Etsy find, a beanstalk pendant, this time from juliespace.

Wonderland Exhibit

Found at Fairy stories come to life at Museum of Childhood:

KIDS saw their favourite stories come to life as an exhibition of contemporary artwork showing fairytales, myths and legends from around the world opened at the Museum of Childhood.

The exhibition includes work by East End-based printmakers inspired by well-known European tales, including much-loved favourites like Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, and the Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen.

Around 50 artists from Hackney-based East London Printmakers are exhibiting their work at the museum in Cambridge Heath Road and visitors are able to create their own interpretations of fairytales to add to a mural.

You can read more about the exhibit and related activities at the Museum of Childhood website. There are workshops and activities planned for children, adults, and pairings of both.


According to the East London Printmakers website:

Our touring exhibition about fairytales, myths and legends from around the world has returned from the German Fairytale Museum in Bad Oeynhausen and the Brothers Grimm [Brueder Grimm] Museum in Kassel and will include work by 10 new artists.

The Printmakers site had a link for a catalogue but the PDF file was corrupted. I'm trying to learn more--perhaps get some imagery to share--and will post more if and when I learn more.

And this is yet another reason why I wish I was traveling to England this year.

Jack and the Beanstalk Jewelry

Today I am sharing surprising finds, Jack and the Beanstalk related jewelry, either direct or indirect through design or marketing. I say surprising because this tale tends to be considered more of a "boy" story and thus isn't often interpreted for jewelry. (No arguments about stereotypes, just stating the facts!) I provide links to sources but by no means do I endorse any of these sellers having no experience with them. I'm simply sharing the images and links for the curious. And because with some, such as the Etsy designers, I'm inspired by their work.


These make me wish allergies didn't prevent me from having pierced ears. Sigh.... These were also available several places online, but I liked the description at this site best.

Jack and the Beanstalk vine accent earring: Relive your childhood when you wear this whimsical ear Jack and the Beanstalk ear cuff and it's vine accent earring. The designer suggests that you wear the vine accent earring on the right ear to compliment the Jack and the Beanstalk ear cuff or consider ordering a pair of the vine earrings for a more elaborate statement. This does not include the ear cuff pictured.

These Jack and the Beanstalk earrings --handmade and offered on Etsy by amoronia--feature illustrations by Walter Crane. (She has some other surprises like Cinderella, Frog Prince, and Little Red Riding Hood, too. Love!)


3D JACK & THE BEANSTALK Charm: Currently available on Ebay in silver or gold. Once again, available a few places on the internet, but this time I prefer Ebay as a more reputable resource.


Another Etsy find, a beanstalk pendant, this time from juliespace.

Jack and the Beanstalk Illustrations

One of my sorrows with SurLaLune is that I can only showcase older illustrations of fairy tales, not the more recent ones due to copyright restrictions. However, the wonder of the internet means that several of the artists post samples of their work for portfolio work.

Today, I offer a collection of some well-known and lesser knowns from their online portfolios. Click on their names to go to portfolio sites or on the images to see the pictures full size (Blogspot crops and crops again).

This collection is by no means comprehensive or necessarily of my absolute favorites. They just happened to catch my eye as I was preparing for Jack and the Beanstalk Week.

I am always fascinated by the age choices for portraying Jack.


by Elizabeth O Dulemba from Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante (Bilingual English/Spanish) by Keith Polette


by Wendy Berry


by Scott Gustafson from his Classic Fairy Tales


by Fiona Sansom


by Carol Newsom


by Lindy Burnett


by Patricia Cantor Okay, this one captures the terror of the chase without being graphic better than almost any illustration of this moment I've seen. Brava!

Jack and the Beanstalk Illustrations

One of my sorrows with SurLaLune is that I can only showcase older illustrations of fairy tales, not the more recent ones due to copyright restrictions. However, the wonder of the internet means that several of the artists post samples of their work for portfolio work.

Today, I offer a collection of some well-known and lesser knowns from their online portfolios. Click on their names to go to portfolio sites or on the images to see the pictures full size (Blogspot crops and crops again).

This collection is by no means comprehensive or necessarily of my absolute favorites. They just happened to catch my eye as I was preparing for Jack and the Beanstalk Week.

I am always fascinated by the age choices for portraying Jack.


by Elizabeth O Dulemba from Paco and the Giant Chile Plant/Paco y la planta de chile gigante (Bilingual English/Spanish) by Keith Polette


by Wendy Berry


by Scott Gustafson from his Classic Fairy Tales


by Fiona Sansom


by Carol Newsom


by Lindy Burnett


by Patricia Cantor Okay, this one captures the terror of the chase without being graphic better than almost any illustration of this moment I've seen. Brava!

Fairy Tale Economies Conference: Oct. 1 & 2, 2009

This is very late notice--I only learned about it a few days ago and Once Upon a Blog beat me to posting it first (Hi Gypsy!). However, I want this blog to be a place to learn about these events and since it's only a few months old, three actually, I don't feel too badly. Still, if I had known earlier, I probably would have made a trip down to Mississippi since I am in Tennessee and such a trip would be driveable for me.

And I've always wanted to visit the de Grummond Children’s Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi. Really. It's been on my list for almost two decades now since I first learned about it as a precocious undergraduate student who studied Children's Lit at much as possible. I'd go crazy in there. My hubby would go along just to watch me be excited like I was in the Reading Room of the British Museum several years ago. I think he took more pictures of me wandering around, reading names and looking at first editions (behind glass) than of the actual place. But I have really digressed...

Anyway, USM is hosting the Fairy Tales Economies Conference this Thursday and Friday. Here's an article. Here's a press release. Here's an official site. Here's a schedule.

The list of papers to be presented is not on the schedule. I'll print one here if anyone has a list to share. I wish there was an online repository for fairy tale related conference papers that are never formally published. I'd host those on SurLaLune if I saw a true interest. (I have an old moldering one about Nancy Drew I presented years ago at a conference so I know they disappear just as often as not. More often actually.)

Keynote speaker Dr. Jennifer Schacker, author of National Dreams: The Remaking of Fairy Tales in Nineteenth Century England, will deliver a highly visual presentation about Victorian fairy tale pantomime theatre. Schacker is an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

And the exhibit of tale artwork, titled "The Alphabet of Fairy Tales," developed by Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at Southern Miss, will be available for viewing during the reception. Another treat.

Attendance is free, a boon to those who are in the area and can attend.

Fairy Tale Economies Conference: Oct. 1 & 2, 2009

This is very late notice--I only learned about it a few days ago and Once Upon a Blog beat me to posting it first (Hi Gypsy!). However, I want this blog to be a place to learn about these events and since it's only a few months old, three actually, I don't feel too badly. Still, if I had known earlier, I probably would have made a trip down to Mississippi since I am in Tennessee and such a trip would be driveable for me.

And I've always wanted to visit the de Grummond Children’s Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi. Really. It's been on my list for almost two decades now since I first learned about it as a precocious undergraduate student who studied Children's Lit at much as possible. I'd go crazy in there. My hubby would go along just to watch me be excited like I was in the Reading Room of the British Museum several years ago. I think he took more pictures of me wandering around, reading names and looking at first editions (behind glass) than of the actual place. But I have really digressed...

Anyway, USM is hosting the Fairy Tales Economies Conference this Thursday and Friday. Here's an article. Here's a press release. Here's an official site. Here's a schedule.

The list of papers to be presented is not on the schedule. I'll print one here if anyone has a list to share. I wish there was an online repository for fairy tale related conference papers that are never formally published. I'd host those on SurLaLune if I saw a true interest. (I have an old moldering one about Nancy Drew I presented years ago at a conference so I know they disappear just as often as not. More often actually.)

Keynote speaker Dr. Jennifer Schacker, author of National Dreams: The Remaking of Fairy Tales in Nineteenth Century England, will deliver a highly visual presentation about Victorian fairy tale pantomime theatre. Schacker is an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

And the exhibit of tale artwork, titled "The Alphabet of Fairy Tales," developed by Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at Southern Miss, will be available for viewing during the reception. Another treat.

Attendance is free, a boon to those who are in the area and can attend.

Jack and the Beanstalk Mural

The Main Library of the Pine Bluff / Jefferson County Library System in Pine Bluff, Arkansas has a wonderful Jack and the Beanstalk Mural near one of its elevators that I wanted to share. The mural was painted by Dr. Henri Linton, Chair, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Art Department and student Ariston Jacks in August 1998 when the library was remodeled.


Since most of us will never visit the library itself (myself included), I'm thrilled that the library has included great pictures of the mural on the website to share with the rest of the world. You can read the story illustrated with studies from the mural at: Jack and the Beanstalk Mural with Story.


There is also a page with more pictures that provide a better perspective on the entire project at Jack and the Beanstalk Panoramic View.


And speaking of wonderful library murals, one of the top ranked libraries in the country, Richland County Public Library in Columbia, SC, has The Wild Place at their main library, a children's room decorated with wall murals from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. (With the Spike Jonze movie out soon, I thought this was a nice crossover.) I have visited there--I lived in Columbia for one year long ago--and it's wonderful to see the Wild Things in big-as-life size.


There aren't many images on the web but I found these on Lee County Public Library - SC's Flickr page. Sendak gave special permission to RCPL to use the images which are also included in some of their marketing materials. Makes me want my own Wild Thing for my desk. But I'm refraining. For now.

Jack and the Beanstalk Mural

The Main Library of the Pine Bluff / Jefferson County Library System in Pine Bluff, Arkansas has a wonderful Jack and the Beanstalk Mural near one of its elevators that I wanted to share. The mural was painted by Dr. Henri Linton, Chair, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Art Department and student Ariston Jacks in August 1998 when the library was remodeled.


Since most of us will never visit the library itself (myself included), I'm thrilled that the library has included great pictures of the mural on the website to share with the rest of the world. You can read the story illustrated with studies from the mural at: Jack and the Beanstalk Mural with Story.


There is also a page with more pictures that provide a better perspective on the entire project at Jack and the Beanstalk Panoramic View.


And speaking of wonderful library murals, one of the top ranked libraries in the country, Richland County Public Library in Columbia, SC, has The Wild Place at their main library, a children's room decorated with wall murals from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. (With the Spike Jonze movie out soon, I thought this was a nice crossover.) I have visited there--I lived in Columbia for one year long ago--and it's wonderful to see the Wild Things in big-as-life size.


There aren't many images on the web but I found these on Lee County Public Library - SC's Flickr page. Sendak gave special permission to RCPL to use the images which are also included in some of their marketing materials. Makes me want my own Wild Thing for my desk. But I'm refraining. For now.

Faerie Magazine: Summer 2009 Issue

The Summer 2009 issue of Faerie Magazine should start appearing on newstands today and in the coming weeks. (Yes, it has been delayed due to multiple reasons, but it is coming slowly but surely.)

My contribution to this issue is an article about Jack and the Beanstalk, a rather summery tale to me but still quite lovely for autumn harvest time, too. As always, I discuss the history of the tale and modern versions.

The issue also includes a feature on Paul Kidby, the illustrator to Terry Prachett; the unique vision and fantasy art of Jasmine Becket-Griffith; an article on Glastonbury Abbey: King Arthur's last resting place and Charles Vess' Midsummer's Play.

And since I wrote about Jack and the Beanstalk, I will be offering extra Jack and the Beanstalk posts this week. Let's call it Jack and the Beanstalk week. I'll continue the newsy and current events posts, too, but add some extra posts of my favorite Jack and the Beanstalk related work.

Faerie Magazine: Summer 2009 Issue

The Summer 2009 issue of Faerie Magazine should start appearing on newstands today and in the coming weeks. (Yes, it has been delayed due to multiple reasons, but it is coming slowly but surely.)

My contribution to this issue is an article about Jack and the Beanstalk, a rather summery tale to me but still quite lovely for autumn harvest time, too. As always, I discuss the history of the tale and modern versions.

The issue also includes a feature on Paul Kidby, the illustrator to Terry Prachett; the unique vision and fantasy art of Jasmine Becket-Griffith; an article on Glastonbury Abbey: King Arthur's last resting place and Charles Vess' Midsummer's Play.

And since I wrote about Jack and the Beanstalk, I will be offering extra Jack and the Beanstalk posts this week. Let's call it Jack and the Beanstalk week. I'll continue the newsy and current events posts, too, but add some extra posts of my favorite Jack and the Beanstalk related work.

'Princess and the Frog' Controversy

Here's a short and quick article about the controversies that have surrounded and will continue to surround Disney's new film, months before the public has even seen the final cut of the film: Does Disney's 'Princess and the Frog' Deserve the Controversy?

Many of the articles I've seen so far have been more biased than this one by Kevin Polowywhich I consider much more even-handed.

Are the criticisms warranted? Or are the reactions excessive? Depends on how you look it at. There are some reasonable questions being asked: In a film set in 1920s New Orleans, where most of the characters are black, why isn't the prince? Why make the princess clearly culturally definable, yet the prince ambiguous? After 70 years of white princes, doesn't the black community deserve a prince to call their own? (And no, we count neither Prince Akeem nor the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in this argument.)

But at the same time, shouldn't we credit Disney for diversifying their portfolio and promoting interracial relationships? Won't this scenario help teach our kids about racial tolerance? Aren't we all just overreacting here? After all, this is an animated movie for kids about people who transform into frogs; the main characters even spend most of their screen time as reptiles. So should race even be an issue here?

I'm admit I'm curious as to the choice of princes for the film, racially ambiguous is a questionable choice. Should we say, boo, no black prince from Disney yet? Or hooray for tolerance of interracial couples? Very, very curious.

Then again, I'm fascinated with the entire interpretation of the story. Disney isn't known for sticking to the originals very well, but this one perhaps wins the prize for their most wildly interpreted fairy tale.

In the end, I am curious to see how well the movie does at the box office and with merchandise sales. I imagine they will be fairly strong although I wonder about Christmas sales since the movie isn't getting a nationwide November release. I'm not understanding all the marketing choices for this film, to say the least.

In the end, I predict those who always support and love Disney will continue to do so and vice versa with those who don't worship the Mouse House. So far, I'm most surprised there aren't more non-Disney Frog Prince related books and such being released to ride the Disney wave.

Either way, I expect lots of conversation. The article I reference above is just a few days old and already has over 1,500 reader comments on it.

'Princess and the Frog' Controversy

Here's a short and quick article about the controversies that have surrounded and will continue to surround Disney's new film, months before the public has even seen the final cut of the film: Does Disney's 'Princess and the Frog' Deserve the Controversy?

Many of the articles I've seen so far have been more biased than this one by Kevin Polowywhich I consider much more even-handed.

Are the criticisms warranted? Or are the reactions excessive? Depends on how you look it at. There are some reasonable questions being asked: In a film set in 1920s New Orleans, where most of the characters are black, why isn't the prince? Why make the princess clearly culturally definable, yet the prince ambiguous? After 70 years of white princes, doesn't the black community deserve a prince to call their own? (And no, we count neither Prince Akeem nor the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in this argument.)

But at the same time, shouldn't we credit Disney for diversifying their portfolio and promoting interracial relationships? Won't this scenario help teach our kids about racial tolerance? Aren't we all just overreacting here? After all, this is an animated movie for kids about people who transform into frogs; the main characters even spend most of their screen time as reptiles. So should race even be an issue here?

I'm admit I'm curious as to the choice of princes for the film, racially ambiguous is a questionable choice. Should we say, boo, no black prince from Disney yet? Or hooray for tolerance of interracial couples? Very, very curious.

Then again, I'm fascinated with the entire interpretation of the story. Disney isn't known for sticking to the originals very well, but this one perhaps wins the prize for their most wildly interpreted fairy tale.

In the end, I am curious to see how well the movie does at the box office and with merchandise sales. I imagine they will be fairly strong although I wonder about Christmas sales since the movie isn't getting a nationwide November release. I'm not understanding all the marketing choices for this film, to say the least.

In the end, I predict those who always support and love Disney will continue to do so and vice versa with those who don't worship the Mouse House. So far, I'm most surprised there aren't more non-Disney Frog Prince related books and such being released to ride the Disney wave.

Either way, I expect lots of conversation. The article I reference above is just a few days old and already has over 1,500 reader comments on it.

Vivian French's Tales of the Five Kingdoms

Vivian French's Tales of the Five Kingdoms series isn't new, but it is currently ongoing and new to me (and perhaps you). French is a British author and so these books are published first in the U.K. by Walker Books and then reprinted stateside by Candlewick Press. So far two are out in the U.S. and three are available in the U.K. There are plans for at least five books in the series at this point, so there are more to come that will be brand new to all of us. The series is for middle readers but can be enjoyed by older kids and grown-ups, too.

These are the types of books that also helped inspire this blog. I find books like these and they never fit very well into the book galleries on SurLaLune proper. The first book in the series uses the Frog Prince (princes turned into frogs) and Cinderella (wicked stepsister), for example. These mish mashed elements make the books fun to read as one searches for the fairy tale influences while enjoying the original story. They deserve some publicity.

So on to the books...

The Robe of Skulls: The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms is the first book in the series. (The hardcover is also currently bargained priced on Amazon.com, making it cheaper than the paperback, but that can change within hours, days or weeks according to inventory. And here's the Amazon.co.uk link, too.)

Review from Booklist: Prolific British author French (Once Upon a Time, 1996) serves up a charmingly witty adventure peopled with all manner of fairy-tale archetypes: a bad prince who is really not the least bit evil, a beautiful but nasty stepsister, a beleaguered but brave little girl named Gracie, and a talking bat. Lady Lamorna, an aging, evil sorceress, sets off to buy herself a grotesque gown, while at the same time Marlon the bat rescues Gracie from her cellar prison and leads her into the wilderness and the eventual safety of a group of old crones. Meanwhile, Prince Marcus has been left at home for bad behavior and is thus happily passed over by Lady Lamorna’s wicked and calculating spell that turns his twin and the other princes and princesses into frogs. French is a deft storyteller who keeps all the plotlines crisscrossing as beautifully as the web the crones must keep straight and true. Devotees of fractured fairy tales will be as pleased as Gracie with the results.

And another positive one:

Review from Kirkus: Conceiving a burning desire for a new gown - black velvet, decorated with poison ivy, spider webs and skulls - wicked Lady Lamorna decides to pay for it by turning all the local princes into frogs and extracting ransoms from their royal parents. She gets help on the way from the considerably more clever Foyce Undershaft, a young lady of stunning beauty and "a heart as hard as a frying pan," who is also the evil stepsister of kindly Gracie Gillypot. Enter Marlon, a bat who addresses young folk as "kiddo" and is forever flitting off with a "Ciao!" to deliver messages or orchestrate some dodgy deal. Thanks to his efforts Gracie hooks up with Marcus, a scruffy prince missed in the general amphibious transformation, to rescue the other princes and to trick Foyce into entering a magical sort of rehabilitation program. Lady Lamorna even gets her gown, in the end. Larded with stock comical characters and illustrated with Collins's gangly, Beardsley-esque line drawings, the story will slip down like the bonbon it is.

The second book is The Bag of Bones: The Second Tale from the Five Kingdoms (Amazon.co.uk link).

Publisher's description: When the quill writes GO GO GO frantically on the wall, and the House of the Ancient Crones heaves Gracie Gillypot outside onto the path, it can mean only one thing: there’s Trouble in the Five Kingdoms. This time it’s in the form of a beady-eyed, green-tongued witch named Truda Hangnail, who with her banished Deep Magic has vowed to succeed Queen Bluebell on the throne. Now that her horrible spell has shrunk the good witches of Wadington to the size of, well, rats, can anything stop her? Will the strengths, smarts, and charms of a spunky trueheart, a sweet-natured orphan, a scruffy prince, a substantial troll, and two squabbling bats be enough to foil her insidious plot?

And finally, just released in the U.K. and not yet available in the U.S. (except as an import), we have The Heart of Glass: The Third Tale from the Five Kingdoms.

Publisher's description: It is a fine day for dwarf watching -– at least that is what Gracie Gillypott and Prince Marcus think when they set out, quite unaware that Princess Marigold of Dreghorn has set her sights on Marcus, and decided to "follow him to the ends of the earth" -- fan, frilly petticoats and all. All is not well; the dwarves are overworked and underpaid, having been expected to produce extra gold for wedding crowns for the wedding of Fedora and Prince Tertius; to deal with the problem, the Chief of Works sends for a couple of trolls who have an agenda of their own -– to find a princess for their leader, who believes True Love will melt his heart of glass. Gracie is mistaken for a princess, Marigold gets in everyone's way, Gubble is forced to make a terrible choice ... but fortunately Marlon and Alf are there to save the day.

The reader reviews are just as strong as the professional reviews, praising the writing by French and the illustrations by Ross Collins that have definite Aubrey Beardlsey and Edward Gorey influences. I would have devoured these as a kid and still enjoyed the first book (the only one I have so far) almost as much as an adult.

Short Film: Brother and Sister

Brother & Sister Trailer from Lisa Stock on Vimeo.

Lisa Stock just completed work on a short film, "Brother & Sister", adapted from both the traditional fairy tale and contemporary poem by Terri Windling. I've embedded the trailer above and you can also visit the official website.

A screening will take place in NYC next week on Sept 30th and will coincide with an online screening for out-of-towners. Lisa's other mythic film, The Silent Nick and Nora, and clips from her Titania will also be shown. Check the Events page for more details.

You can read the original tale on SurLaLune at Brother and Sister. It's one of my favorite tales and I added it to the site years ago although it remains mostly obscure and ignored. It's not highly trafficked on SurLaLune either so Huzzah to Lisa and all for bringing a little more attention to it.

You can read Terri's poem at Brother and Sister. Terri's poem originally appeared in The Armless Maiden: And Other Tales for Childhood's Survivors and again in The Poets’ Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimms Fairy Tales, two collections I highly recommend. They are both out of print unfortunately, but used versions are available or I recommend trying interlibrary loan. In my experience, neither book is very common in smaller libraries. These are the times I'm grateful for the internet but I also look forward to the day when no book is out of print whether through ebook readers or other means such as print on demand sources.

Won't that be loverly? (Saw My Fair Lady again last week and I'm still recovering. And laugh with me because originally I typed My Fairy Lady. Someone write that ASAP, please. I'm too busy translating Rapunzels. More about that soon.)

Vivian French's Tales of the Five Kingdoms

Vivian French's Tales of the Five Kingdoms series isn't new, but it is currently ongoing and new to me (and perhaps you). French is a British author and so these books are published first in the U.K. by Walker Books and then reprinted stateside by Candlewick Press. So far two are out in the U.S. and three are available in the U.K. There are plans for at least five books in the series at this point, so there are more to come that will be brand new to all of us. The series is for middle readers but can be enjoyed by older kids and grown-ups, too.

These are the types of books that also helped inspire this blog. I find books like these and they never fit very well into the book galleries on SurLaLune proper. The first book in the series uses the Frog Prince (princes turned into frogs) and Cinderella (wicked stepsister), for example. These mish mashed elements make the books fun to read as one searches for the fairy tale influences while enjoying the original story. They deserve some publicity.

So on to the books...

The Robe of Skulls: The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms is the first book in the series. (The hardcover is also currently bargained priced on Amazon.com, making it cheaper than the paperback, but that can change within hours, days or weeks according to inventory. And here's the Amazon.co.uk link, too.)

Review from Booklist: Prolific British author French (Once Upon a Time, 1996) serves up a charmingly witty adventure peopled with all manner of fairy-tale archetypes: a bad prince who is really not the least bit evil, a beautiful but nasty stepsister, a beleaguered but brave little girl named Gracie, and a talking bat. Lady Lamorna, an aging, evil sorceress, sets off to buy herself a grotesque gown, while at the same time Marlon the bat rescues Gracie from her cellar prison and leads her into the wilderness and the eventual safety of a group of old crones. Meanwhile, Prince Marcus has been left at home for bad behavior and is thus happily passed over by Lady Lamorna’s wicked and calculating spell that turns his twin and the other princes and princesses into frogs. French is a deft storyteller who keeps all the plotlines crisscrossing as beautifully as the web the crones must keep straight and true. Devotees of fractured fairy tales will be as pleased as Gracie with the results.

And another positive one:

Review from Kirkus: Conceiving a burning desire for a new gown - black velvet, decorated with poison ivy, spider webs and skulls - wicked Lady Lamorna decides to pay for it by turning all the local princes into frogs and extracting ransoms from their royal parents. She gets help on the way from the considerably more clever Foyce Undershaft, a young lady of stunning beauty and "a heart as hard as a frying pan," who is also the evil stepsister of kindly Gracie Gillypot. Enter Marlon, a bat who addresses young folk as "kiddo" and is forever flitting off with a "Ciao!" to deliver messages or orchestrate some dodgy deal. Thanks to his efforts Gracie hooks up with Marcus, a scruffy prince missed in the general amphibious transformation, to rescue the other princes and to trick Foyce into entering a magical sort of rehabilitation program. Lady Lamorna even gets her gown, in the end. Larded with stock comical characters and illustrated with Collins's gangly, Beardsley-esque line drawings, the story will slip down like the bonbon it is.

The second book is The Bag of Bones: The Second Tale from the Five Kingdoms (Amazon.co.uk link).

Publisher's description: When the quill writes GO GO GO frantically on the wall, and the House of the Ancient Crones heaves Gracie Gillypot outside onto the path, it can mean only one thing: there’s Trouble in the Five Kingdoms. This time it’s in the form of a beady-eyed, green-tongued witch named Truda Hangnail, who with her banished Deep Magic has vowed to succeed Queen Bluebell on the throne. Now that her horrible spell has shrunk the good witches of Wadington to the size of, well, rats, can anything stop her? Will the strengths, smarts, and charms of a spunky trueheart, a sweet-natured orphan, a scruffy prince, a substantial troll, and two squabbling bats be enough to foil her insidious plot?

And finally, just released in the U.K. and not yet available in the U.S. (except as an import), we have The Heart of Glass: The Third Tale from the Five Kingdoms.

Publisher's description: It is a fine day for dwarf watching -– at least that is what Gracie Gillypott and Prince Marcus think when they set out, quite unaware that Princess Marigold of Dreghorn has set her sights on Marcus, and decided to "follow him to the ends of the earth" -- fan, frilly petticoats and all. All is not well; the dwarves are overworked and underpaid, having been expected to produce extra gold for wedding crowns for the wedding of Fedora and Prince Tertius; to deal with the problem, the Chief of Works sends for a couple of trolls who have an agenda of their own -– to find a princess for their leader, who believes True Love will melt his heart of glass. Gracie is mistaken for a princess, Marigold gets in everyone's way, Gubble is forced to make a terrible choice ... but fortunately Marlon and Alf are there to save the day.

The reader reviews are just as strong as the professional reviews, praising the writing by French and the illustrations by Ross Collins that have definite Aubrey Beardlsey and Edward Gorey influences. I would have devoured these as a kid and still enjoyed the first book (the only one I have so far) almost as much as an adult.