Heidi Anne Heiner's Blog, page 126

New Release: Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn Singer

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn Singer, one of my most anticipated new books of the year, was released last week. My copy arrived on Thursday and I have been reading it in savory bits since then, not wanting to read it all in one sitting although it can be done in just a few minutes. It's a picture book of short poetry, after all.

I'll admit, I was scared. I ADORE the companion title, Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. When it was released three years ago, it lived in my living room for months, awaiting my next visitor (victim) to be shown its wondrous glory. (And books do not reside in my living room. I have a few book-free zones in the house to preserve sanity.) Well, my visitors were impressed, but it helps if you love fairy tales and poetry, or at least fairy tales. I love both and appreciate the careful wordsmithing that these books require. So does the new book live up to my hope and hype?

YES! It does. In fact, it may surpass it. I have favorites in the first book, and some lesser favorites that were not as strong for me. I would skip over those when sharing the book with my unsuspecting victims. With this new book, I won't be skipping any. Wherever the book may fall open, I will read and share. I would only choose favorites based on favorite fairy tales, not the poem itself, for each reverso is strong. Margaret Singer has perfected her invented form quite well.

Book description:

Once upon a time, Mirror Mirror, a brilliant book of fairy tale themed reversos – a poetic form in which the poem is presented forward and then backward – became a smashing success. Now a second book is here with more witty double takes on well-loved fairy tales such as Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid.

Read these clever poems from top to bottom and they mean one thing. Then reverse the lines and read from bottom to top and they mean something else - it is almost like magic!

A celebration of sight, sound, and story, this book is a marvel to read again and again.

And usually this means that the reverse poem gives a different character's perspectives on the events of the tale. It makes an excellent classroom book for teaching writing, perspective, fairy tales, so much!

Here's an excerpt from the Little Mermaid poem that illustrates:

For love,
give up your voice.
Don't
Think twice.

And in reverse:

Think twice!
Don't
Give up your voice
for love.

To entice you fairy tale fans, here is the Table of Contents. See all of the lesser known tales you adore?

Fairy Tales (general poem about writing)
Your Wish Is My Command (Aladdin)
Birthday Suit (Emperor's New Clothes)
Silly Goose (Golden Goose)
Ready, Steady, Go! (Tortoise and the Hare)
Will the Real Princess Please Stand Up? (Princess and the Pea)
The Little Mermaid's Choice (Little Mermaid)
Panache (Puss in Boots)
Follow Follow (Pied Piper)
No Bigger Than Your Thumb (Thumbelina)
Can't Blow This House Down (Three Little Pigs)
The Nightingale's Emperor (The Nightingale)
On With the Dance (Twelve Dancing Princesses)
Now It's Time to Say Goodnight (general ending poem)

Finally, the poems are enhanced by Josée Masse's illustrations, too. The bright colors and opposites portrayed are charming and will pull in younger readers. Wonderful wonderful!

Lovely Tribute: Read to a Child

I just read an obituary that ended with a wonderful family request. Welsford Hone "Gus" Clark was an elementary education professor for over 30 years at BYU. He died a week ago and there are many loving remembrances passing around the internet about him. That is how I came across his and his family's final request in his official obituary, one I would include in my own obituary.

The Clark family suggests that you can honor Gus by purchasing a children's book and spending precious time reading it to a child.

Of course, I would be tempted to narrow it to a fairy tale book, but any children's book being read to a child is a wonderful tribute to those of us who love sharing literature with the rising generation. At the top of the page, I added images of some of the picture books that have brought me and a child in my life joy by reading  it together, ones I look at and have vivid memories of sharing. There are many, many more, of course. My picture book collection literally circles the bottom shelves of my library and gets regular usage. And the pop-up books are even more used.

Last week was a niece's 3rd birthday--after the presents were opened and the cake was eaten, she turned to me and asked for the "magic bag." It hadn't come with me that time because of the presents and cake--and, yes, everything was princess themed this year--but it gave me a moment of joy to think that amidst that orgy of toys and sugar, she still wanted a few moments with me and a book or two. I didn't say it to her then but in my mind I promised Kensie many, many more shared bookish moments in the years to come.

Bargain Ebook: Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

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Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling is $1.99 TODAY ONLY in ebook format on Amazon. This one usually hovers at $6.59 likes its sister books.

Book description:

In their third critically acclaimed collection of original fairy tales for adults, World Fantasy Award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling present 21 new stories by some of the top names in literature today. Dark, disturbing and delightful, each story was written expressly for this superb collection of distinctly grown-up fantasy -- a brilliant companion volume to Datlow and Windling's acclaimed anthologies, Snow White, Blood Red and Black Thorn, White Rose. Contributors include: Susan Wade, Tanith Lee, Garry Kilworth, Nancy Kress, Farida S.T. Shapiro, Joyce Carol Oates, Roberta Lannes, Michael Cadnum, Lisa Goldstein, John Brunner, Nancy A. Collins, Gene Wolfe, Susan Palwick, Milbre Burch, Gahan Wilson, Anne Bishop, Kathe Koja, Ellen Steiber, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, and Delia Sherman.

Unhappy Ending Cinderella: Denmark's The Two Princesses

Sorry I have been absent the last few days. And, no, not from illness. Just plain busyness and plain old being overwhelmed. I am trying to get back to a somewhat normal routine, but we will see. I obviously caught up with myself on Cinderella entries, but there's always more if I can just find time to think!

For today, I wanted to share one of the Cinderellas with an unhappy ending. The tale, The Two Princesses (De to Kongedættre), comes from Denmark and was summarized by Marian Roalfe Cox in a supplement to her book she published in Folklore journal in 1907, from M. Winther's Danske Folkeventyr. The following is a summary of the tale edited from Cox's article.

While I included many Cinderella summaries in the collection, I edited each one from the tabulation format she used to a more narrative style, replacing articles (especially "the") and fixing awkward grammar. The summaries lose some of the details of the original narrative--Andrew Lang expressed his dissatisfaction with them--but they are often quite sufficient for getting the flavor of the tale and its key elements. And since the task of trying to translate each of the roughly 200 tales that have no English translation already would have taken years of work with minimal benefit, the summaries are beautiful!

From my book, Cinderella Tales From Around the World:

A KING has two daughters. The elder is wicked and ugly while the younger is beautiful and good. The elder daughter is beloved and lives with the king in the most gorgeous rooms of the palace. The heroine lives with the servants and shares their work.

A neighbouring king arranges a festival to last several days. The elder daughter attends it with the father. The heroine is left in the kitchen. She sits crying in the twilight in her small room. Suddenly, a strange little man appears and offers to fulfil a wish for her. The heroine wishes to see the ball where the father and the sister are. She may go, she is told, on the condition that she returns before midnight.

The man vanishes, and the heroine stands in costly dress, wearing heavy gold chains and a crown of diamonds. At her door is a magnificent coach with four snow-white horses whose golden manes reach the ground. The heroine enters the coach and soon finds herself at the palace, admired by all, and unrecognised by her father and sister. As twelve o’clock strikes, she mounts the coach and is soon back in her shabby clothes in her dark room.

The next day the father and sister talk incessantly of the fair, unknown princess. In the evening they go to the festival, leaving the heroine hard at work. Seeing a red glare in the sky from the illuminated palace, the heroine longs to go. Immediately she is beautifully and magnificently dressed. This time her horses are yellow with jet-black plaited manes. At the ball she is admired and courted beyond measure. As the clock strikes midnight, she leaves in the midst of a dance.

On the third evening, a heavy gale blows. She wears a triple crown of sparkling diamonds. Her coach is drawn by eight flame-coloured horses with manes like shining gold. Everyone wants to dance with her. She stays beyond her given time and leaves in her black working dress, only to find outside, instead of a coach, an old wheelbarrow drawn by four small mice. She weeps bitterly over her forgetfulness and in the future passes her days as a common servant in her father’s kitchen.

As you read, this particular tale is also unusual in that the 510A tale has a father and sister who persecute the heroine--persecuting fathers are usually reserved for 510B tales. Not a mother, stepmother or multiple sisters in sight. We also have an almost Rumpelstiltskin type of magical helper--this is less unusual actually, but still rare enough--although no bargains are made. Virtue is its own reward--to a point!

And then the unhappy ending is fascinating. If you have always wondered what would have happened if Cinderella didn't leave on time, well, here's your answer. She wasn't sufficiently obedient and thus here is her punishment--lifelong servitude!

Finally, this tale was recorded circa 1825 before the full fury of folklore collection grew during the 1800s. The Perrault influence is there, but it's still a tale all its own.

New Book: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer was released yesterday. (Yes, I am behind, many Cinderella entries coming soon!)

The book probably needs to introduction to most readers here who fell in love with Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) last year. That doesn't mean I should mention it on the blog!

Book description:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

The American secretary who became king: A woman's journey to royalty

 

Because it reads like a post-modern fairy tale, I had to share this in case you missed it. Of course, the story is popping up everywhere, book and movie rights included. I did say post-modern, didn't I? Marriage not required to become royalty either. From The American secretary who became king: A woman's journey to royalty:

"It never ever occurred to me [that I'd be Otuam's king]," says Bartels, who's been living in the United States since her early 20s. "I realized that on this earth, we all have a calling. We have to be ready to accept it because helping my people has really helped me a lot to know that I can really touch their lives," she adds. "I would have really regretted it if I hadn't really accept this calling."

Although she still works at the Ghanaian Embassy, Bartels uses all her holiday every year to spend a month in Otuam. King is the traditional title of Otuam's ruler, and Bartels says she's happy to be called a king, rather than queen, because it means she can achieve more.

"Most of the time, a king is the one who has all the executive power to do things, while the queen is mostly in charge of the children's affairs and reporting to the king," she says. "So I really love this."

Bargain Ebook: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

  
New month, new list of 100 Kindle books for $3.99 or less on Amazon. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu--featured earlier this week here--is on the list so its price dropped earlier this week. But there is one more fairy tale inspired book on this list (as well as some great other titles).

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan is $2.99. It was previously discounted last year for a few weeks to $3.99 when I bought it. So you get to save another dollar if you don't already own it.

Book description:

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose— hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire— is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes— or be left without any future at all.

Bargain Ebook: Goldilocks And The Three Bears by Gennady Spirin

If you have a Kindle Fire or Kindle tablet reader, Goldilocks And The Three Bears by Gennady Spirin is $1.99. This is part of a Bargain Bear Books for Kids, $1.99 promotion which is really quite adorable and makes me miss the bear storytimes I used to do way back when.

Book description:

Gennady Spirin has taken a favorite childhood tale and imbued it with charm, dressing his bears in Renaissance costumes and providing whimsical and charming furniture designed for their country dwelling. Each spread—painted in watercolor, pen, and ink—brings renewed life to this endearing children’s classic in a way that only a master illustrator can. No wonder Goldilocks want to sample the bears’ porridge, sit on their chairs, and rest on their beds!

Cinderella Tales: The Golden Bull, or, The Crafty Princess

First of all, yesterday's post was edited into oblivion by accident--that's what I get for not writing it in Word first. It was about the Grimms and more thoughts on Perrault. I am sure it was one of the best and most profound posts I have ever written. Not that I can ever prove that to you! Actually, I am sad because I did think a few deeper thoughts than usual, but I will try to recreate for a later post. For now, I'm skipping Grimms and sharing The Golden Bull today. It mostly predates the brothers anyway.

From my book, Cinderella Tales From Around the World:

Another tale, The Golden Bull, or, The Crafty Princess: In Four Parts, an ATU 510B tale, was popular during the 18th and early 19th centuries with numerous chapbook editions published in Great Britain and Scotland as well as in North America. A version of this last tale is not included in this collection, but can be found in internet databases. One edition, dated 1750, has the following extended description:

The Golden Bull; or, The Crafty Princess, in four parts.—1. How a king courted his own daughter for marriage, threatning her with death if she would not consent to be his wife. 2. The lady's craftiness to be convey'd over sea in a golden bull to the prince she loved. 3. How her arrival and love came to be made known to the young prince. 4. How her death was contrived by three ladies in her lover's absence: how she was preserved, and soon after married to the young prince: with other remarkable accidents that happened.

The multiple editions of this tale and their publication dates provide one of the illustrative points on how ATU 510B Donkeyskin and its variants virtually disappeared in English during the latter 19th century. The Victorian era suppressed the incest themes in these tales and then they began to lose momentum in collections, too. The tale is still well known in France, but the average English speaking person on the street would just look at you funny if you asked them about Donkeyskin or any of the other titles with the incest element. "That's not a fairy tale I've ever heard of," they'd say.

But the tale was relatively well-known prior to then, even in North America. The abundance of chapbook editions helps to convey that. It wouldn't be printed and bought so often if it wasn't wanted by the reading public. A simple search of WorldCat, for example, shows many listings with several estimated publication dates as well as various cities of publication around the U.K. and in the U.S. It's around until the early 1800s and then poof, gone! And when they do appear, the marriage demands from the fathers are edited.

Bargain Ebook: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson is $1.99 for today only in ebook format. It has been discounted previously--although I bought it full price back when, no regrets--but you get another chance at it today and it is certainly worth your $1.99. Also, with it being January 31st, it is the last day for the 100 Book for $3.99 or Less deals on Amazon. They will refresh tomorrow and most of those books will go back up to $7 or more. Crossing fingers that tomorrow's new list has some great new titles on it.

Book description:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king--a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young. Most of the chosen do.