The Unruly Queen

by E.S. Redmond

Fifty-two nannies in fifty-two weeks — and Minerva von Vyle is still impossible! Can anyone tame this spoiled, wild child?

"But what sort of queen lives with beasts in a cave?”
“The sort,” Nanny answered, “who never behaves."

Minerva rules her household with shrieks and commands, demanding candy for dinner and refusing to entertain any discussion of bedtime. Indeed, fifty-two nannies have run screaming from the house. But when the elegant and bespectacled fifty-third nanny, undaunted by Minerva’s tirades, appears on the scene to crown her young charge “the Unruly Queen,” tutu-clad Minerva is thrilled — until she hears the details of the position. E. S. Redmond’s brisk, bouncy rhymes and vibrant, delightfully detailed artwork portray Minerva’s unyielding awfulness and Nanny’s unshakable calm with comedic flair, prompting even the most unmanageable youngsters to be careful what they wish for.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2012

About the author

E. S. Redmond was inspired to write this, her first book, after a trip with her children to a petting zoo. She says, "I remember watching all these smiling, wobbling toddlers surrounding the animals. Every little nose was running, and the sheep resembled very large mounds of tissue. It struck me as altogether funny and ironic that the hand soap was mounted on the fence at the exit. Nice for us, not so great for the sheep." E. S. Redmond lives in Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute illustrated book about a rich and spoiled girl that behaves unruly towards the household staff because she doesn't get attention from her always traveling parents. I like it because it teaches children to not take advantage of other's kindness and to appreciate those whom are kind.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minerva von Vyle is a thoroughly spoiled, disobedient, obnoxious child. She's given everything she wants and has run off fifty-two nannies in fifty-two weeks. Nobody wants to hang around this kid. Until nanny number 53 arrives and announces that the Order of Nannies has declared Minerva the "single most difficult child to control". This nanny is here to crown Minerva The Unruly Queen.

Minerva is thrilled with the honor until she realizes that she will spend all her time ruling creatures loathsome and loud, with no dolls, satin sheets, or butlers and maids. But what sort of queen lives with beasts in a cave? she bellows. The sort who never behaves, that's what sort. As the nanny offers more information about the castle on Petulant Peak, the young rebel begins to rebel. Her cushy life with a butler and maids suddenly seems much more desirable, even if she has to behave to keep it. They want a queen who never does as she's told? Minerva decides to go get herself ready for bed. They want a queen who's dirty and smelly? Minerva opts to take a bath. They want a queen with knots in her hair? Minerva brushes until every tangle is smooth. She'll be good all the time, from now on, she decides. The residents of Petulant Peak will just have to crown another child the Unruly Queen. But just in case Minerva reverts to her unruly ways, the fifty-third nanny has one more trick in her bag.

Redmond's destructive little protagonist is deliciously illustrated, as well. Sort of a cross between Gus Grimly's artwork on his wicked fairy tales and Edgar Allan Poe stories and Chris Riddell's The Edge Chronicles. Impish, villainous fun.

A classroom teacher could easily find a week's worth of terrifically fun vocabulary words in this book. The rhyme and meter are both spot on, with nothing forced. "Naughty kids" love Minerva's evil ways, "good kids" like it when she decides to be good, and readers can practice their wicked voice with the nanny. (Me, I tried to sound like Ursula, the Sea Witch, from Disney's Little Mermaid. She's as nasty and oozy as they come.)

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minerva von Vyle is spoiled and neglected by her rich and preoccupied parents. The household staff’s attempts to “manage” Minerva fail spectacularly, and she sends a succession of nannies packing. Then, in Mary Poppins fashion, the fifty-third nanny arrives and announces that she has come to crown Minerva “Unruly Queen.” As she outlines Minerva’s new responsibilities as Queen, Minerva gradually realizes that she does not want to give up her very posh circumstances even if it means the loss of her crown (and an end to her wild behavior). Kids will see right away that Minerva is being manipulated to behave, but since there’s no loss of face, it’s not such a bad thing. Plus, this is magnificently fun to read as it’s all in verse – even the jacket flap summary. The illustrations do the Unruly Queen justice – she’s properly pouty and impish and outraged (a lot of attention is paid to hair, clothing, and background details). Clever, humorous, and delightfully verbose.

Excerpt:
“Therefore,” she went on with her eyes all agleam,
“I have come here to crown you the Unruly Queen!”

“A queen?” shrieked Minerva. “How perfect for me!
I’m practically royal, as I’m sure you can see!
I already have diamonds and a private chauffeur,
and I don’t have an issue with wearing real fur!”

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Full Review to Come*

Short and sweet: LOVE(D) this book! From the illustrations to the text this was an instant hit with not only myself but both of my kiddos. Perfect for teaching the importance of being polite & having manners without being too "in your face" about it to little kiddos. Fabulous book!

[Irma Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unruly Queen deals with a spoiled child who is given everything she so much desires, yet she behaves like a monster to those around her. This child is Minerva von Vyle well known for scaring every nanny away in less than a day and terrorizing her house servants who can't get away. Her behavior is too wild, until the 53rd nanny comes in with a plan. The 53rd nanny tells Minerva of Petulant Peak, a place known for having disgusting and loud creatives who are in need of a queen. This interested Minerva at first, but then after the nanny went more in depth of the place, which made Minerva frightening to go there. The 53rd nanny tales scared her so much that she began to behave better to the point she wasn't vile anymore.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book tells the story of an unruly little brat named Minerva, the queen of her castle, who is always bossing everybody around and causing a ruckus.
In steps the 53rd Nanny, and she turns the tables on Minerva...

Very cute book. Very cute illustrations!

Good read aloud for parents with kids who DON'T want to go to bed.

[Ellie Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's about a selfish girl who becomes very nice

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun for kids old enough to get the "trickery."

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learning how to behave.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute concept. We enjoyed the rhyming and word choice.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minerva is spoiled. A "queen" among queens. Her parents are too busy to pay attention or discipline her, and her servants have no choice but to serve her every whim. Her nannies, well they run from this troublesome terror. That is until the 53rd nanny arrives to crown her the queen of a kingdom of monsters. Some clever reverse psychology on her part does wonders. What little girl wants to live among a bunch of nasty, messy monsters afterall. Hearing how these creatures act like a certain misbehaving child, Minerva learns to not take her fortunate lifestyle for granted. As she gets ready for bed, the beasts in the background continue to cause trouble, looking more and more dejected as she behaves.

For this story of a child spoiled rotten, the artist created spindly, elongated, and deformed characters to match this horrific nature. Additionally, it works well within the context of a monster infested world, a kingdom which Minerva nearly claims. Desaturated colours maintain this expressionistic style, however it refrains from being truly frightening because of the prominent pinks and purples.

Poetic and eloquent, even with the choice of subject matter, this is one of the few authors who goes beyond the use of mere rhyme. Devices include: alliteration, imagery, onomatopoeia, and the author often gives multiple examples or descriptions for emphasis. Older children will appreciate the writing's quality, use of uncommon words, and clever lesson.

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute story of reverse psychology trickery. (though anyone who knows Mary Poppins has seen such things before). What really put me off is that young Minerva's good behavior doesn't necessarily translate to anything but deciding to behave.

The fact that her wealthy parents are off in their own worlds of business and travel and don't spend time with her seems a clear indicator of where some of Minerva's terrible behavior is originating. She wants (and needs) the right kind of attention from her parents. Maybe it's just that I want a follow up book where the clever nanny pulls the same kind of discipline on the parents and gets them home to spend time with their daughter.

It's not bad, overall, but the wording is a little complex for Prek and Kindergarten groups. Some of the rhymes are imperfect, but I'll forgive that since I loathe forced rhyming even more.

For the precocious child who can appreciate the psychological trickery involved, this may be a very entertaining story.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not like this one, and I think it's mainly because a lot of kids (at least mine) are not going to be able to relate to the main character. She has parents who don't love her and instead buy her everything she desires. Thus she becomes very bratty and she acts out to get the attention she doesn't get from her parents. A nanny comes and straightens her out. In the text, the author mentions all the stuff this girl has, including furs, diamonds, and a household staff. Most kids don't have that, and they won't understand the real reasons this kid is acting the way she is. The whole book was unpleasant for me.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good couplet rhyming scheme, sharp humor, and wickedly sharp-lined illustrations are the vehicle for this Ramona Quimby-esque tale. At first glance, one thinks it is Ramona on the cover, capturing the signature hair and a sense of herself, although this Queen-wannabe is today's Fancy Nancy. Borrowing also from Mary Poppins, yet another (the 53rd) nanny arrives, one who is smart enough to use the age old trick of reverse psychology to turn Lil' Miss-behaving spoiled rich kid into a willfully-obediant, count-your-blessings little girl. Recommended for children aged 3-7.

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncontrollable Minerva von Vyle has been through 52 nannies in 52 weeks. Then the 53rd nanny shows up. Redmond has produced some hilarious detailed drawings to accompany the 53rd nanny's reaction to Minerva's antics. The rhyming text is SO well written and sophisticated (no sing-song here!), with rich vocabulary that respects children's intellects. I really appreciated that the root of Minerva's behavior isn't just "she's a bad kid." This book provided a jumping-off point in our household to discuss children's behavior, but also what makes a good parent.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

ALICE THE FAIRY (Shannon) meets MISS NELSON IS MISSING (Allard) in this rhyming new picture book of an unruly young girl and a trickster nanny that induces behavioral compliance.

Strong vocabulary is a plus for the education market but will hinder most young independent readers. Fun monsterly, dynamically drawn characters and not-too-pink illustrations make this one a visual treat. Best as a read-aloud for ages 3-6.

[Kevin Redmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little biased, so here is a review from the School Library Journal:
Redmond follows in the delightfully subversive footsteps of Shel Silverstein in this tale of Minerva von Vyle, a child so rude and spoiled that she has been through 52 nannies in as many weeks... Redmond’s clever rhyming verse trips off the tongue, and her scratchy, vintage-style illustrations b...ring to mind a slightly sunnier Edward Gorey.
—School Library Journal

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unruly. We can start with that. There's something rough and challenging about the word. It calls to mind glamorous rogues who are always getting in bar fights. Elizabeth Taylor in Taming of the Shrew. Wouldn't you like to be thought of as 'unruly' from time to time? Slightly unsafe? Unpredictable, like the high-heeled little spitfire on the cover of this new picture book?

Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...

[Rochelle Sondae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a fun read. The rhyming text was easy to read and the pictures were hilarious. There was a lot to discover on each page. I was tempted to also place it under "toddler skills" as the premise of the book is that the Unruly Queen has very bad manners that she modifies to avoid Petulant Peak however it's really just a story and probably wouldn't get shelved with the other manners books anyway.

[Katie Plumley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this as creative writing. The nanny that finally tames the unruly queen does it by appealing to her selfish arrogance. She tells the little girl that she is going to crown her "the Unruly Queen" and begins to give her the responsibilities that come with being "the Unruly Queen." It would be a very funny read aloud for kids, and could help them see the consequences for acting out. There are all kinds of creative writing leaps that could come off this story. K-3

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this book was perfect. The illustrations were done in a fun style with lots of little details that can keep turning the page hard because there is so much to see. The story line was so fabulous though that one can't help but turn the page to see what will happen next with this braty, privileged young girl who is finally meeting her match in Nanny #53.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minerva is a most unruly child that no one can seem to control. The fifty-third nanny in fifty-two weeks arrives though and things begin to change due to her witty reverse psychology. The pen and ink illustrations were pleasantly dark and a bit Edward Gorey like and I loved that it was told in rhyme.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me of some other books, cute. Connected me to Hooray for Diffendoofer Day with warning about doing the right thing/passing the test... (Besides making me think of Nanny McPhee with a nanny who makes things right...)

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little reverse psychology by and clever nanny tames an out of control young girl. Rhymed verse works and presents interesting words and phrases with fun illustrations by the author illustrator ES Redmonds. 2013 IRA Primary Fiction Nominee.

[Tonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book to have received the International Reading Association Children’s Book Award for new authors. I enjoyed the verse and theme. What a great way to get kids to think about their actions and how others view them.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, a nice message but not overdone, the rhyme is solid, the illustrations have a subtle old fashioned feel that adds to the story.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Shel Silverstein-esque. Clever word usage and great for vocabulary. Just a fun book and such a good one to slip into the "Pink Princess" pile during check-out.

[Maddypictures · Rating 2 out of 5]

In wordy rhyme, a bratty princess type is finally tamed with reverse psychology from a fearsome nanny and her crew of monsters.

[Keir Bridges · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! So funny!