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The Princess and The White Bear King
Journey to the land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon through this magical fairy tale. Ages 5-8 years.
Written by professional storyteller Tanya Batt and illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli, this book will send a tingle of excitement down your spine as you journey on a breathtaking adventure to the magical land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon. Combining the themes of three classic wonder tales "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", "The Black Bull of Norroway" and "The White Bear King" this exquisite fairy tale takes its roots from the Scandinavian tradition, but its story and its message ("where there is no trust, there can be no love") are universal.
Written by professional storyteller Tanya Batt and illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli, this book will send a tingle of excitement down your spine as you journey on a breathtaking adventure to the magical land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon. Combining the themes of three classic wonder tales "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", "The Black Bull of Norroway" and "The White Bear King" this exquisite fairy tale takes its roots from the Scandinavian tradition, but its story and its message ("where there is no trust, there can be no love") are universal.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2004
7 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Robyn Batt
11 books4 followersTanya Robyn Batt writes fiction and non-fiction for children. She is also a storyteller, performer and teacher who uses her huge collection of costumes to visit schools, libraries and festivals worldwide, telling stories. In Auckland and as a part of her life as a performer, Batt runs a school of dance and drama called Imagined Worlds.
Also see Tanya Batt.
Also see Tanya Batt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 20, 2022
This retelling of "East of the Sun & West of the Moon" is all over the place, it mixes three tales together and some elements don't quite fit in, such as the climbing of the glass mountain that doesn't belong here.
The problems start right from the beginning, where the enterprising and plucky peasant girl that willingly goes with the white bear so her family can have means to live is replaced by a spoiled princess instead. A princess that dreams of a golden crown and sells herself to the bear she meets at random in the forest, at that. There's no sense of sacrifice and helping your family here, it's unnervingly like prostitution: she stomps her feet to be given that crown as if it were hers and the bear says only if you give yourself to me. There's a transaction: yourself for this trinket. And a violent transaction, too, because the bear is then refused the girl and breaks into the castle and knocks out the royal soldiers to get the girl. Seriously, what's the issue with this author? The girl he gets is afraid of the bear, and when he asks her if she is and she admits to it, he shakes her off his back! It turns out he was tricked but will persist till he gets the "right" girl instead of her timorous sisters. It makes absolutely no sense why they behave like that, so unlike in the tale, and the girl doesn't say a thing to stop the violence or the trickery of sending her sisters to pay for her deal with the bear in her stead.
The awfulness doesn't stop here, though. When she does as her mother suggests and discovers the identity of the bear as a human prince, he has to run away, but she clings to his fur and is dragged through the forest till she falls off his back from cold. What follows is a three-years-long (!) quest to find the fugitive bear (why does he transform back into a bear, by the way?) in which mawkish scenes with old hags and starving children are shown, no Four Winds or anything of the sort. She does find him at the Troll Queen's castle, but here it's the queen herself and not her daughter who's to marry the prince. Once everything is done and the trolls are vanquished, they return to their castle and shower gifts on her family, as if nothing had happened.
I think the above summary gives an idea of my issues with this retelling. But what about the art? Well, I personally disliked it very much. Soft watercolours seem to have been used, which gave this a washed out appearance; and the palette is weirdly Christmasy. I mean, the princess is dressed all in red with white trimmings! Is she supposed to evoke Santa Claus? Because with such clothing, she sure does. And the kicker here is that the illustrator, Nicoletta Ceccoli, seems to have wanted to ape P. J. Lynch's beautiful scene of maiden and prince in bed, but hers came out like a cheapo Harlequin cover. Hahaha! Oh, my. I laughed for a good while at that. At least the artist bothered to draw the trolls like non-humans, with their horns and all, though that 16th century costume is out of place for the North.
Not recommended, don't let the cover seduce you.
The problems start right from the beginning, where the enterprising and plucky peasant girl that willingly goes with the white bear so her family can have means to live is replaced by a spoiled princess instead. A princess that dreams of a golden crown and sells herself to the bear she meets at random in the forest, at that. There's no sense of sacrifice and helping your family here, it's unnervingly like prostitution: she stomps her feet to be given that crown as if it were hers and the bear says only if you give yourself to me. There's a transaction: yourself for this trinket. And a violent transaction, too, because the bear is then refused the girl and breaks into the castle and knocks out the royal soldiers to get the girl. Seriously, what's the issue with this author? The girl he gets is afraid of the bear, and when he asks her if she is and she admits to it, he shakes her off his back! It turns out he was tricked but will persist till he gets the "right" girl instead of her timorous sisters. It makes absolutely no sense why they behave like that, so unlike in the tale, and the girl doesn't say a thing to stop the violence or the trickery of sending her sisters to pay for her deal with the bear in her stead.
The awfulness doesn't stop here, though. When she does as her mother suggests and discovers the identity of the bear as a human prince, he has to run away, but she clings to his fur and is dragged through the forest till she falls off his back from cold. What follows is a three-years-long (!) quest to find the fugitive bear (why does he transform back into a bear, by the way?) in which mawkish scenes with old hags and starving children are shown, no Four Winds or anything of the sort. She does find him at the Troll Queen's castle, but here it's the queen herself and not her daughter who's to marry the prince. Once everything is done and the trolls are vanquished, they return to their castle and shower gifts on her family, as if nothing had happened.
I think the above summary gives an idea of my issues with this retelling. But what about the art? Well, I personally disliked it very much. Soft watercolours seem to have been used, which gave this a washed out appearance; and the palette is weirdly Christmasy. I mean, the princess is dressed all in red with white trimmings! Is she supposed to evoke Santa Claus? Because with such clothing, she sure does. And the kicker here is that the illustrator, Nicoletta Ceccoli, seems to have wanted to ape P. J. Lynch's beautiful scene of maiden and prince in bed, but hers came out like a cheapo Harlequin cover. Hahaha! Oh, my. I laughed for a good while at that. At least the artist bothered to draw the trolls like non-humans, with their horns and all, though that 16th century costume is out of place for the North.
Not recommended, don't let the cover seduce you.
March 26, 2013
Batt lists three stories that she uses as the buffet for version of East of the Sun, and even attributes which elements come from which story -- except for the part about the guy making the princess metal climbing claws for her hands and feet! Did she just make up that detail? I've never encountered it before and wondered where it came from... oh well.
March 28, 2014
This is a favorite folktale for my girls and me. It's a beautiful story that combines the themes of three classic tales: East of the Sun, West of the Moon, The Black Bull of Norway and The White Bear King. The story reminds me of Beauty and the Beast as the Prince is a polar bear who needs the love and loyalty of the princess to turn back into is human form as Prince. The princess and bear king travel years to find each other and overcome the evil Troll Queen and her enchantment to live happily ever after. It's a fairy tale set in the winter tundra where dreams come true through adventure and determination. I enjoyed reading a fairy tale outside of the regular Disney versions my daughters know by heart. I liked reading this story to my young daughters as the female protagonist shows strength, drive, and commitment in finding what she wanted most in life.
This is a traditional piece of literature as it is a folktale that combines themes from several common tales. There is a moral, characters which represent good and evil, and it is a story that has been told again and again. I would use this story to model the traditional genre. I would use prereading and postreading activities to develop students' understanding of the elements of the genre such as reading logs, semantic mapping, or predicting.
This is a traditional piece of literature as it is a folktale that combines themes from several common tales. There is a moral, characters which represent good and evil, and it is a story that has been told again and again. I would use this story to model the traditional genre. I would use prereading and postreading activities to develop students' understanding of the elements of the genre such as reading logs, semantic mapping, or predicting.
May 3, 2012
This book is based on a combination of Norwegian Fairytales that have been combined into one. Without giving the plot away, as it would spoil the surprise, the book in set in the snow and so is perfect for winter. It is enchanting and mystical, containing a white bear king, princesses, kings, castles, spells to name a few. The children I read this book to were in year two and were able to really engage with the characters, the narrative and the location. The book has some beautifully written similes for example, “the snow falls bride-white.” The way it is written makes the book more enchanting and engaging for children and adults alike. Combined with the beautiful illustrations this is a must read for all, especially in the winter, where you will be taken away to a far away land covered in snow and pine trees...but watch out for the white bear king!
February 24, 2015
Pictures were ok. Nothing spectacular.
The story was an amalgamation of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, The Black Bull of Norraway, and The White Bear King. In the afterword, the authoress breaks down which details she used from each story to create this one.
Enjoyable.
(Though I should still have relished more detailed illustrations.)
The story was an amalgamation of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, The Black Bull of Norraway, and The White Bear King. In the afterword, the authoress breaks down which details she used from each story to create this one.
Enjoyable.
(Though I should still have relished more detailed illustrations.)
December 29, 2010
A wonderful retelling of my favorite tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The author combines elements from other tales with similar themes. The illustions are modern, bright and very lively. Although the troll queen could have been a bit more troll-like!
March 26, 2021
A princess dreams of a beautiful crown. none of the crowns are beautiful enough except for the crown the bear has. She promises to live with the bear in exchange for the crown. One day she wishes to visit her family for a week. The bear tells her not to take her mother's advice. Her mother tells the princess to light a candle and hold a knife to see what the noise is coming from. She finds out its the bear turned into a prince, but she gets wax on him and he must marry the queen toll instead of turning into a prince and marrying the princess forever.
The princess went after the bear. She came to a cottage where an old lady gave her a tablecloth. At the second cottage, the lady gave her a pair of scissors. The third house, the lady gave her a gold cup. At the fourth house, the bear had gone high above the mountain where only birds can go. Princess was about to cry when she saw a crowd of children around the stone-filled pot. The princess gave the children food and water in return the lady promised that her husband would make her iron claws for her hands and feet. When the princess got to the top of the mountain, she spread out the tablecloth with a feast that got the troll queen's attention. The princess agreed to give the troll queen the magic tablecloth in exchange of a night with the prince. But the troll queen put a sleeping potion on the prince. She traded her magic scissors for another night with the prince which he was again under a sleeping spell. Princess traded teh magic cup for another night with the prince. One of the servant told the prince what had been happening and the prince pretend to drink the sleeping potion.
The prince told the princess that only his true bride would be able to wash his shirt clean of wax stains. When the princess cleaned his shirt, the troll queen turned to stone.
This story is a combination of themes of hree classic talees: East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the Black Bull of Norraway and the White Bear King. All are traitions of Northern Europe.
The princess went after the bear. She came to a cottage where an old lady gave her a tablecloth. At the second cottage, the lady gave her a pair of scissors. The third house, the lady gave her a gold cup. At the fourth house, the bear had gone high above the mountain where only birds can go. Princess was about to cry when she saw a crowd of children around the stone-filled pot. The princess gave the children food and water in return the lady promised that her husband would make her iron claws for her hands and feet. When the princess got to the top of the mountain, she spread out the tablecloth with a feast that got the troll queen's attention. The princess agreed to give the troll queen the magic tablecloth in exchange of a night with the prince. But the troll queen put a sleeping potion on the prince. She traded her magic scissors for another night with the prince which he was again under a sleeping spell. Princess traded teh magic cup for another night with the prince. One of the servant told the prince what had been happening and the prince pretend to drink the sleeping potion.
The prince told the princess that only his true bride would be able to wash his shirt clean of wax stains. When the princess cleaned his shirt, the troll queen turned to stone.
This story is a combination of themes of hree classic talees: East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the Black Bull of Norraway and the White Bear King. All are traitions of Northern Europe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2023
Dreaming of a glorious golden crown one night, a beautiful princess awakens, and cannot be satisfied by any of the crowns created by her indulgent father's craftsmen. Then she meets a white bear in the woods, who possessed such a crown, but will only exchange it for her, the princess. Going to live with him in a beautiful palace, the princess is happy, until she is misled by her mother's advice, and attempts to pry into the white bear's secret. Revealed as an enchanted prince, the bear departs, and the princess sets out after him, embarking on a quest for her love that will lead her to the land east of the sun and west of the moon...
Cobbling together elements from three northern European folktales—the Norwegian East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon and The White Bear King, and the Scottish The Black Bull of Norroway —New Zealand author and storyteller Tanya Robyn Batt spins an engrossing and magical tale, one which features a heroine who is both courageous and compassionate. The accompanying acrylic, pencil and oil pastel artwork of Italian illustrator Nicoletta Ceccoli, who also worked on Batt's The Faerie's Gift , is quite lovely, with a beautiful palette and elegantly stylized figures. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale lovers.
Cobbling together elements from three northern European folktales—the Norwegian East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon and The White Bear King, and the Scottish The Black Bull of Norroway —New Zealand author and storyteller Tanya Robyn Batt spins an engrossing and magical tale, one which features a heroine who is both courageous and compassionate. The accompanying acrylic, pencil and oil pastel artwork of Italian illustrator Nicoletta Ceccoli, who also worked on Batt's The Faerie's Gift , is quite lovely, with a beautiful palette and elegantly stylized figures. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale lovers.
February 5, 2019
I would use this book with a Year Two or Year Three class that enjoys fairy tale and adventure books. I would take some of the events in the book, such as the youngest princess agreeing to live with the bear in exchange for a beautiful golden crown, as the stimulus for big questions. I would ask my class whether they would do something similar if they could have the thing they wanted the most in exchange and discuss the possible consequences with them of making this sacrifice. I would be asking questions as I read this book, asking for the children's opinions and talking about how some of the characters are feeling. The book has some clear text to text references to Beauty and the Beast with the animal bridegrooms and we would discuss this using the children's prior knowledge. Also, the language used in the story is very descriptive and I would take some of this to inspire the children's story writing, for example: "as if a hundred summers had come at once". I would also turn my classroom into the bear's palace with lots of fake snow, fairy lights and a role play area with crowns and capes. We would read books about bears, discuss how they would normally behave and I would teach them about their typical habitats.
December 18, 2016
Gorgeous illustrations!
My biggest complaint is that it didn't seem to flow all that well, the ending felt a bit rushed where things almost "randomly" happened. This book relies on very convenient (and sometimes sudden) events in order for things to all come together in a neat bow. While I didn't love it, still an enjoyable read.
My biggest complaint is that it didn't seem to flow all that well, the ending felt a bit rushed where things almost "randomly" happened. This book relies on very convenient (and sometimes sudden) events in order for things to all come together in a neat bow. While I didn't love it, still an enjoyable read.
December 2, 2020
An engaging story which would work well with younger children in the school. There is some repetition to the story which you could get them to pick out.
You could also look at the bear and its adaptations to be able to run and climb the ice within a science lesson.
You could also look at the bear and its adaptations to be able to run and climb the ice within a science lesson.
September 3, 2025
I love this retelling. It’s a mash up of 3 different classic tales and I’ve always adored the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche which is used here. The author also used The Black Bull of Narraway and The White Bear King.
February 20, 2018
This is one of my favorite fairy tales. I wasn't loving the art, but it was fine. It is a good one to read with little ones.
May 23, 2018
Nicoletta art is great but I don't like the story much.
October 11, 2018
This was a beautifully illustrated and written book. It is a combination of three folktales. (Library sale book/gift for my niece) Note: No CD included.
December 2, 2022
Nice art and a nice story.
April 8, 2023
East of the Sun and West of the Moon is my favorite fairytale, so I’m always eager to find retellings, whether it’s a children’s book, YA or adult. This was so fun!
February 18, 2024
A cute fairytale retelling, although it’s an amalgamation of three different stories. I didn’t always love the art style, but it was fun to read to the kids.
June 15, 2013
This is a wonderful fairytale about a princess who dreamed of a magnificent crown. When she awoke and told her father about her dream, he commanded that someone make her this crown. No one could make a crown as wonderful as the one she had dreamed about. The princess came upon a bear as she was walking and he showed her the crown she had dreamed about. He said he would give it to her on one condition- that she come with him. She agreed but the king tried to give him his other daughters. One at a time the bear found that they were not the one he wanted until finally the princess went with him. Every night the princess would awake to a loud sound inside her bedroom but she could not see what it was. When she was able to go back and see her parents, her mother told her to strike a match. Though the bear told her not listen to her mother's advice because a terrible spell would be put on both of them, the princess struck the match and found that there was a handsome prince by her side. The spell made the prince turn into a bear, and off he went to the evil troll queen. The princess tried to stop him but she couldn't. So years went by and the princess continued to look for her prince, meeting some people along the way who offered her gifts to take upon her journey. She finally found him. This book is an exciting story about about a princess finding her prince. I definitely wanted to keep reading it to find out if she got her prince, and to see what the items that the princess was being given would be used for. I do think that it is rather long and may not keep the focus of younger children. I would recommend this for 2nd graders and up.
March 21, 2011
We really enjoyed this tale, which combined elements of three different stories. In my never-ending line of reading coincidences, this story incorporates the love story of Psyche and Eros into the tale, just as Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub does, although in a different way. We happen to read both of these books tonight, although it will take us several more days to finish Artemis. In any case, we are fascinated by Greek mythology and I loved how Tanya Robyn Batt combined different stories from different backgrounds to weave an enchanting tale. The illustrations complement the story nicely and I really enjoyed the author's note at the end that explained her inspiration for creating this book.
August 4, 2015
My daughters and I love one of the folktales on which this book is based, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This book incorporated two other folktales in the story and does so beautifully. The illustrations are a combination of styles I can't quite pin down but which my daughter and I enjoyed.
This is a tale of a strong princess. She is the one who comes to the rescue of the prince. She makes a mistake, doubts and loses but her perseverance and devotion to reclaim what she has lost are admirable.
This is a sort of fairy tale princess I like. Real fairy tale princesses from the old folk and fairy tales are so much more interesting and strong than those in the movies.
This is a tale of a strong princess. She is the one who comes to the rescue of the prince. She makes a mistake, doubts and loses but her perseverance and devotion to reclaim what she has lost are admirable.
This is a sort of fairy tale princess I like. Real fairy tale princesses from the old folk and fairy tales are so much more interesting and strong than those in the movies.
November 26, 2016
I was expecting East of the Sun West of the Moon, which the story started as, but suddenly veered in a somewhat different direction. I love all of the "Animal Bride Stories" used but I felt cheated by the randomness of the shirt cleaning. It comes out of nowhere, why would the Troll Queen agreed to this if he has to come and marry her anyway, and makes no sense. This story felt more like destiny not determination and love saved the prince. And the princesses hair in the illustrations was constantly defying gravity. No clue why.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2009
This is an incredibly beautiful book, perfect for a gift for a book lover of any age. The story is a combination of several stories into one, with a typical "journey" theme throughout. The heroine learns to use her strengths and creativity to find her way to the end...
Find this and other Barefoot Books on my website.
Find this and other Barefoot Books on my website.
August 25, 2015
The Princess And The White Bear King was one of my top-favorite books as a younger child. I simply adored this book, checking it out at the library at every oppurtunity. I still love this book now at 14, this is my favorite fairy tale of all time. It has a certain fairy-tale-in-another-world feel that no other fairy tale has. I love this book and story, need I say more?
August 30, 2016
Gorgeous illustrations that bring the action to life and lend an air of magic. There are surprises and personal growth. I read it with a 5 year old and I have a feeling we'll be reading it again and again.
August 20, 2008
I really liked this one. The melding of stories was pretty good and the illustrations were incredible!! Love her work!
November 22, 2013
I liked this re-telling for the most part, and my four-year-old was entranced even though it was quite long for reading aloud.
November 26, 2013
Cute princess tell. Love the compassion the Princess shows at the end helping the mother and the children. Also her determination to find her love.
November 27, 2016
This is a "power of reading" book. My Year 2 class have thoroughly enjoyed the magical feel of this story and produced some amazing writing as a consequence.
April 10, 2009
Beautiful illustrations
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews