In this beautifully illustrated book, Barrager retells the classic Grimm fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses who mysteriously wear out their shoes every night. In this version of the story the king becomes concerned that his daughters won’t be able to rule the kingdom one day because all they do is nap. So he makes a proclamation, the person who can solve the mystery shall have their hearts desire. Doctors, scientists, and others do their best, but it is the cobbler, Pip, who figures out the secret. He follows the sleepwalking princesses through the trap door in their room, through the silver, gold, and diamond forest, to the magical ballroom where they dance all night in their sleep. Pip breaks the spell, saves the princesses, and they all live happily ever after.

I like this version of the story for younger kids because it moves along quickly with just a few sentences per page. This version is also unique in that the princesses are under a spell, instead of tricking their father. There are versions of the story that use text to paint more detailed descriptions of the magical world and the perils of following the princesses through the forest multiple times, however Barrager chooses to be more concise with her words and lets her illustrations do the rest. Speaking of illustrations, they have a wonderful 1950’s retro feel to them, reminiscent of Mary Blair’s work. Barrager weaves images of vines with curling leaves into nearly every page. The characters are whimsical and stylish; I especially love Pip’s pompadour.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...