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Barbie of Swan Lake
Barbie of Swan Lake
Barbie is one of the top girls' properties - the world's #1 fashion doll. Now Scholastic is publishing a tie-in with "Barbie in Swan Lake," Mattel's third direct-to-video Barbie movie.
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a beautiful girl named Odette. She lived a simple life, helping her father and mother in their bakery.
Then one day, a beautiful unicorn led Odette into an enchanted forest full of magical creatures. But despite the forest's beauty, danger lurked near at hand. An evil wizard named Rothbart was determined to destroy the forest and all of its creatures.
Odette knew it was up to her to save the forest. But before she could, Rothbart turned her into a swan! Now Odette had to save the forest... and herself.
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a beautiful girl named Odette. She lived a simple life, helping her father and mother in their bakery.
Then one day, a beautiful unicorn led Odette into an enchanted forest full of magical creatures. But despite the forest's beauty, danger lurked near at hand. An evil wizard named Rothbart was determined to destroy the forest and all of its creatures.
Odette knew it was up to her to save the forest. But before she could, Rothbart turned her into a swan! Now Odette had to save the forest... and herself.
- GenresChildrensChapter Books
64 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
5 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 11, 2015
I thought the pictures were unique because they took the photos using the real dolls, instead of snapshots from the movie.
October 15, 2015
This is a decent story. Not among my favorite Barbie movies. I did like that the book's pictures used the real Barbie dolls instead of the animated movie pictures.
January 2, 2018
Junior novelizations are near-impossible to properly review: they’re meant for a much younger audience than myself, and they are not put together with all that much consideration or care. But I did grow up in love with those older Barbie films, and I definitely read these books—and, as an adult, I have a deeper appreciation for the movies, though Swan Lake has always bugged me for its irritating sidekicks and syrupy romance. To be fair, the junior novelization tones down both of these elements—but it has plenty of problems of its own.
Make no mistake: you don’t want this book for the prose (I guess maybe if you’re an entry-level reader and want to be exposed to the story, but you’re better off watching the movie). It somehow makes an already-simple movie sound quite idiotic. I know it’s aimed at a very young audience, but the writing is almost painfully bad; I think I could have written a better junior novelization in one pass. Second-grade me could have written this. And, really, it’s a bit insulting to the film’s intelligence; I’m not going to get up on my pedestal and talk about how Barbie films are underrated works of art, but the early ones are certainly visual fantasy spectacles. But in the book, Swan Lake, one of the more dazzling locations featured in early Barbie films, is reduced to descriptions like, “The boulder began to sparkle. Then it slid open, revealing a secret passageway… It was Swan Lake, shimmering in light. It was surrounded by flowers and weeping willows.” It just hurts my adult, art-loving soul.
Interestingly, though, some of the worse parts of the film come off better in book form—the romance, always my least favorite Barbie romance, is so difficult to stomach every time I watch the movie, but the junior novelization’s brevity actually makes it feel more in line with the underdeveloped romances of old fairytales, where a prince showed up out of nowhere and randomly professed his love for some girl and it was all totally acceptable. Unfortunately, nothing can excuse the terrible showdown at the end of the story—the great heroine can only save the forest as a result of a man’s love and she spends almost all of the final battle unconscious—and tacking the tart “you’re braver than you think” message onto all that passivity feels even sourer in book format.
No, like the film, the appeal of this book is largely visual. Love or hate Barbie, she is beautiful and so is Swan Lake. The movie’s script is problematic, but the scenery is lush, soothing, and enchanting in all the ways a fairytale should be. This translates to the book, as well, which charmingly recreates moments from the film with posed dolls, a move that only two other Barbie film junior novelizations (Rapunzel and The Princess and the Pauper) employed, and I just think they’re so neat. There’s some real ambition to some of the shots—not only is there a lot of detail in the backgrounds and details, but there’s a sense of action to a lot of them, too. There’s one moment where Odette is running after a unicorn and her hair is flying out behind her in a way that shows actual thought went into creating a sense of movement (and probably a lot of doll hairspray) and this detail makes the shots feel alive.
This junior novelization is a horribly cheaply-written book based off of a screenplay that was already making some big mistakes for a girl power story. But the pictures, like the film’s visuals, make up for it. It has some of the prettiest posed-doll shots I’ve seen (and I’ve read a fair amount of posed-doll fairytale picture books) and it is visually ravishing: Odette’s dress is gorgeous, Swan Lake is a sparkling depth of blues and greens, and the dolls are posed in a way that connotes actual emotion. Perhaps this is all wrong to say as a book lover, but this might be a case where you’re better off just looking at the pictures.
Make no mistake: you don’t want this book for the prose (I guess maybe if you’re an entry-level reader and want to be exposed to the story, but you’re better off watching the movie). It somehow makes an already-simple movie sound quite idiotic. I know it’s aimed at a very young audience, but the writing is almost painfully bad; I think I could have written a better junior novelization in one pass. Second-grade me could have written this. And, really, it’s a bit insulting to the film’s intelligence; I’m not going to get up on my pedestal and talk about how Barbie films are underrated works of art, but the early ones are certainly visual fantasy spectacles. But in the book, Swan Lake, one of the more dazzling locations featured in early Barbie films, is reduced to descriptions like, “The boulder began to sparkle. Then it slid open, revealing a secret passageway… It was Swan Lake, shimmering in light. It was surrounded by flowers and weeping willows.” It just hurts my adult, art-loving soul.
Interestingly, though, some of the worse parts of the film come off better in book form—the romance, always my least favorite Barbie romance, is so difficult to stomach every time I watch the movie, but the junior novelization’s brevity actually makes it feel more in line with the underdeveloped romances of old fairytales, where a prince showed up out of nowhere and randomly professed his love for some girl and it was all totally acceptable. Unfortunately, nothing can excuse the terrible showdown at the end of the story—the great heroine can only save the forest as a result of a man’s love and she spends almost all of the final battle unconscious—and tacking the tart “you’re braver than you think” message onto all that passivity feels even sourer in book format.
No, like the film, the appeal of this book is largely visual. Love or hate Barbie, she is beautiful and so is Swan Lake. The movie’s script is problematic, but the scenery is lush, soothing, and enchanting in all the ways a fairytale should be. This translates to the book, as well, which charmingly recreates moments from the film with posed dolls, a move that only two other Barbie film junior novelizations (Rapunzel and The Princess and the Pauper) employed, and I just think they’re so neat. There’s some real ambition to some of the shots—not only is there a lot of detail in the backgrounds and details, but there’s a sense of action to a lot of them, too. There’s one moment where Odette is running after a unicorn and her hair is flying out behind her in a way that shows actual thought went into creating a sense of movement (and probably a lot of doll hairspray) and this detail makes the shots feel alive.
This junior novelization is a horribly cheaply-written book based off of a screenplay that was already making some big mistakes for a girl power story. But the pictures, like the film’s visuals, make up for it. It has some of the prettiest posed-doll shots I’ve seen (and I’ve read a fair amount of posed-doll fairytale picture books) and it is visually ravishing: Odette’s dress is gorgeous, Swan Lake is a sparkling depth of blues and greens, and the dolls are posed in a way that connotes actual emotion. Perhaps this is all wrong to say as a book lover, but this might be a case where you’re better off just looking at the pictures.
March 20, 2014
The story is being told by Barbie to her sister, Kelly, who is feeling uneasy about being at camp overnight for the first time. She remembers the story while looking at constellations, being started on after finding Cygnus. The story begins with Odette dancing in her father's bakery. Odette feels happy because she knows how to dance a ballet dance which is to be very hard to handle or to be practiced. Her sister, Marie, is also shown as a fast horse rider. A unicorn named Lila arrives in the village and manages to escape hunters and runs into an Enchanted Forest with the curious Odette in pursuit. Lila becomes trapped, so Odette tries looking for something good enough to free the unicorn. She spots a magical crystal within the hollow of a nearby tree and takes it out. Little does she know that the crystal was meant for whoever removed it to defeat the evil wizard Rothbart.
The Fairy Queen, who was watching the scene, comes to Odette and tells her that she is the chosen one for purging the evil plaguing the forest, which is the Fairy Queen's cousin, Rothbart. Odette, not wanting to get mixed up in the situation, refuses. The Fairy Queen complies and sends Lila to escort her out of the forest. Suddenly, Rothbart appears in the woods with his daughter, Odile, and turns Odette into a swan. The Fairy Queen is able to partially reverse the effects of the spell, in which, Odette retains her human form by night, but during the day, she is forced to stay as a swan. The Fairy Queen also gives Odette a crown with the crystal in it that will protect her from Rothbart.
Odette also meets the other elves of the forest: Carlita, now a skunk, Ivan, a porcupine as well as a few others. Odette's father and sister, start searching for her, after noticing that Odette is missing. Prince Daniel, the prince living in the castle in Odette's village, is introduced. A spirited man, he prefers exploring rather than marriage, much to the dismay of his mother.
Odette is determined to find a solution to the problem and goes to the magical library to find it. However, they are unable to locate the book of Forestlore and Odette is disheartened. Rothbart lures Prince Daniel into the forest, determined to get him to hunt Odette. However, Daniel is captivated by the swan's beauty and decides to let it live. The two soon fall in love when he sees her true form. They dance gracefully and afterwards Odette transform into a swan.
Daniel asks Odette to a ball, but at first she denies until he finally convinces her to come. Soon, Erasmus—the troll in charge of the library—arrives, having found the book. He reveals to them that the solution is true love, which made everyone realize that Daniel can save them all. However, if Daniel falls for another girl, the magic crystal will lose its power. The Fairy Queen teaches Odette how to waltz at the ball but are interrupted when Erasmus is kidnapped. They manage to save him but Rothbart learns of what will be his downfall. So, under a spell, he makes Odile look like Odette in the eyes of Daniel.
Odette, in swan form, races to the castle to warn Daniel about the trick, but is unable to get inside. At the ball, Prince Daniel pledges his love to Odile, thinking her to be Odette, which caused Odette to fall to the ground, the crystal having lost its power and she is mortally weakened.
Rothbart reveals the truth and he and Odile escape. Daniel runs after them and the Fairy Queen attempts to revive Odette, who is barely alive. However, Rothbart turns her (the Fairy Queen) into a mouse and attempts to kill Odette and Daniel. The two fall onto each other, their hands intertwined.
At that moment, the crystal's power explodes outwards, stopping Rothbart, as they two were truly in love. The two awaken and all of Rothbart's evil is undone. At last, Odette and Prince Daniel confess their love for each other. Everyone from the village and the Enchanted forest celebrate. It is revealed that Odette and Daniel are to be married and are finally happy. Rothbart gets his just deserts as he is now a Cuckoo Clock while Odile is granted the more merciful but humiliating fate of becoming a maid.
At the end, it is shown the story has given Kelly a new resolve and she promises she will participate in the race the following day. She yawns and heads off to bed, with Barbie smiling behind her.
The Fairy Queen, who was watching the scene, comes to Odette and tells her that she is the chosen one for purging the evil plaguing the forest, which is the Fairy Queen's cousin, Rothbart. Odette, not wanting to get mixed up in the situation, refuses. The Fairy Queen complies and sends Lila to escort her out of the forest. Suddenly, Rothbart appears in the woods with his daughter, Odile, and turns Odette into a swan. The Fairy Queen is able to partially reverse the effects of the spell, in which, Odette retains her human form by night, but during the day, she is forced to stay as a swan. The Fairy Queen also gives Odette a crown with the crystal in it that will protect her from Rothbart.
Odette also meets the other elves of the forest: Carlita, now a skunk, Ivan, a porcupine as well as a few others. Odette's father and sister, start searching for her, after noticing that Odette is missing. Prince Daniel, the prince living in the castle in Odette's village, is introduced. A spirited man, he prefers exploring rather than marriage, much to the dismay of his mother.
Odette is determined to find a solution to the problem and goes to the magical library to find it. However, they are unable to locate the book of Forestlore and Odette is disheartened. Rothbart lures Prince Daniel into the forest, determined to get him to hunt Odette. However, Daniel is captivated by the swan's beauty and decides to let it live. The two soon fall in love when he sees her true form. They dance gracefully and afterwards Odette transform into a swan.
Daniel asks Odette to a ball, but at first she denies until he finally convinces her to come. Soon, Erasmus—the troll in charge of the library—arrives, having found the book. He reveals to them that the solution is true love, which made everyone realize that Daniel can save them all. However, if Daniel falls for another girl, the magic crystal will lose its power. The Fairy Queen teaches Odette how to waltz at the ball but are interrupted when Erasmus is kidnapped. They manage to save him but Rothbart learns of what will be his downfall. So, under a spell, he makes Odile look like Odette in the eyes of Daniel.
Odette, in swan form, races to the castle to warn Daniel about the trick, but is unable to get inside. At the ball, Prince Daniel pledges his love to Odile, thinking her to be Odette, which caused Odette to fall to the ground, the crystal having lost its power and she is mortally weakened.
Rothbart reveals the truth and he and Odile escape. Daniel runs after them and the Fairy Queen attempts to revive Odette, who is barely alive. However, Rothbart turns her (the Fairy Queen) into a mouse and attempts to kill Odette and Daniel. The two fall onto each other, their hands intertwined.
At that moment, the crystal's power explodes outwards, stopping Rothbart, as they two were truly in love. The two awaken and all of Rothbart's evil is undone. At last, Odette and Prince Daniel confess their love for each other. Everyone from the village and the Enchanted forest celebrate. It is revealed that Odette and Daniel are to be married and are finally happy. Rothbart gets his just deserts as he is now a Cuckoo Clock while Odile is granted the more merciful but humiliating fate of becoming a maid.
At the end, it is shown the story has given Kelly a new resolve and she promises she will participate in the race the following day. She yawns and heads off to bed, with Barbie smiling behind her.
October 27, 2013
The cover of this book has a beautiful landscape background.
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http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2003...
I wish there was a real "Swan Lake." I love this book still to this day and I remember wanting to have this book so bad when I was younger. I begged my parents to buy it for me but I ended up getting it myself at a thrift store. This story is told very nicely and I like how the real Barbie dolls are used in the illustrations and not just the pictures from the animated movie. This gives you another style of visuals. I especially love the last page's illustrations in the book.
I wish there was a real "Swan Lake." I love this book still to this day and I remember wanting to have this book so bad when I was younger. I begged my parents to buy it for me but I ended up getting it myself at a thrift store. This story is told very nicely and I like how the real Barbie dolls are used in the illustrations and not just the pictures from the animated movie. This gives you another style of visuals. I especially love the last page's illustrations in the book.
May 31, 2011
Odette was trapped in Swan Lake and turned into a swan and she turned into a human at night. Finaly the spell was broken and the forest was saved.Then she was free and back in her real world and she was a princess
Auryn 7 yo
Auryn 7 yo
June 20, 2015
It was a great book i really like it.
February 1, 2016
LOVE how the pictures were staged photos of real Barbie dolls instead of shots from the film!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews