Sleeping Ugly

by Jane Yolen, Diane Stanley (Illustrator)

Short Summary: When beautiful Princess Miserella, Plain Jane, and a fairy fall under a sleeping spell, a prince undoes the spell in a surprising way.

Long Summary: Princess Miserella was very beautiful but inside, where it's hard to see, she was the meanest, wickedest and most worthless princess around. Plain Jane, on the other hand, had a face to match her name but a sweet and loving nature. A meeting with a disguised fairy brings them together in the middle of the dark wood and there, in a hilarious round of misunderstandings and misused wishes, Miserella and Jane both get the rewards they deserve.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Retellings

64 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 1981

About the author

Jane Yolen was a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who wrote more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lived in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is a book for younger children which uses fairly simple language, it still has some clever things going on. It points out that just because a princess is beautiful doesn't mean she can't be a spoiled brat. And just because someone named Jane is Plain doesn't mean she can't have all kinds of good qualities. (Is it a coincidence that the latter has the same name as the author? Hmmm....) This little story adroitly combines motifs from various fairy tales in a humorous way to make young readers think about what is really valuable in a human being.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so effed up I love it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really quite good, but it’s Jane Yolen, so I would expect nothing else. The story is simple, easy to follow, the pictures go well with the story and I love fairy tales, so it all meshed into a positive and fun whole for me. I think younger readers would enjoy this one. Not sure what the age range would be, but not too many words to a page. A few sentences on each page with large picture, so not too intimidating I would think. 4.5 stars, rounded down to a solid 4 stars.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Yolen rocks! Jane Yolen Rocks! Jane Yolen rocks!


Nice companion to her Cinderella. Disney should make this into a movie and do it right.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid and just spent many minutes trying to remember the title! I ordered it from another library... we'll see if it holds up.

Update: It totally holds up. I only take issue with the fact that Jane "wished" for the prince to love her. He could have loved her on his own without a question of whether a spell was involved. There's a chance it wasn't I guess, since the Fairy's wand was broken. Otherwise, top notch storytelling from the prolific and talented Jane Yolen.

[Rylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleeping Ugly is a quirky take on the traditional Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Retold by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Diane Stanley, Sleeping Ugly takes the perceptions of inner and outer beauty and warps them to create a dynamic fairy tale transformation. The story begins with a seemingly beautiful princess; Miserella was physically stunning from her nose down to her toes. However, this beauty was only skin deep. This beautiful princess would cause terror ranging from stepping on puppies to lying and having temper tantrums. There is then the introduction of a second character, a “princess, Plain Jane who is the opposite of Princess Miserella. Jane physically was turned down or turned up in all the wrong places. However, Jane possessed a great beauty on the inside, her love for animals and kindness to all. One day Miserella is abandoned by her horse in the middle of the woods, and comes across an old lady sleeping in the woods. Kicking the woman’s feet to wake her, Miserella demands that the woman takes her home. They come across a dreary little house in the woods, home of Plain Jane. Once inside the house Jane is granted three wishes due to her kindness and the hospitality she has shown to both the old fairy and the mean princess. Out of spite and jealousy Princess Miserella pushes the limits until frogs are falling out of her mouth and all three of them have been placed under a sleeping spell. Both main characters, Jane and Miserella, are static characters. From the beginning of the story they are both given a set of unique characteristic, either being ugly on the outside or on the inside. There is never a moment in the story when either one strays from these defined personality/character traits. There is a plot arch pattern of action that takes place, I noticed this especially during the climax of the story. When the prince comes across the cottage he knows that he must kiss the princess to break the sleeping curse. The prince is challenged in the moment of kissing the beautiful but ugly princess or returning to the seemingly ugly but sweet-smelling Jane.

The illustrations in Sleeping Ugly are done by Diane Stanley. There was a pattern that I noticed right away with the pictures. In every page opening the illustrations alternated between black and white images and images in color. I felt like in some part of the story this added the slow moving or historical feel to the story, this was helpful for when the three individuals were fast asleep for a significant amount of time. All of the illustrations in this book were in a rectangular oval style borderless frame. The illustrations were usually taking up half the page with the text on the other half. I thought this worked nicely has a frame for the text, creating a text box looking page. I thought this book was really well done. Sleeping Ugly is one of the Folktale's most well known style of tales, the fairy tale. We see elements like princesses, princes, and fairies giving this story the enchanting fairy tale title. However, this book can also be a hero tale. Where the handsome prince come to the rescue of three women, ending their days with a "Happily Ever After". I liked reading this story, there were a couple aspect that I wouldn’t recommend for some young readers. There is a strong tone of surface beauty in this book, and I didn’t love the idea of using the word ugly to describe the plain looking girl. However, I thought the story was great, and I really enjoyed the illustrations.

[Claudia G-D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this twist on a traditional tale. It shows children the contrast between the traditional sleeping beauty. This book would be really good to use to compare both stories. Children could look at how the author has taken elements of the original story to create the new contrasting one. Children could also use another traditional tale to inspire them to create their own twists. The illustrations are very detailed and a mixture of colour and black and white illustrations have been used, perhaps to show the negatives in black and white (e.g 'she liked stepping on dogs. She kicked kittens' and 'One day princess miserella rode out of the palace in a huff') and colour for positives/ good things (e.g. Plain Jane 'she loved animals and was always kind to strange old ladies'). The illustrations also added to the effect of the sleep for a hundred years as it showed how time had gone by while the three characters were still sleeping. The ending of the story is quite amusing and I think children would find it funny that the Princess was never woken up, instead it was plain jane who fell in love with the prince and lived happily ever after. I think this story also teaches children about the importance of inner beauty and kindness. However one thing I am not keen on, is the way that plain jane is referred to as ugly because 'her hair was short and her nose was long'. The story also makes it seem like plain jane is suited to the prince because he has no jewels and is not rich like other princesses. As well as this the ending also does not reflect the character of plain jane that we have got to know throughout the story. Plain Jane used all her wishes to be nice and help Princess Miserella and then once she had kissed the prince she no longer wanted to be nice to the Princess and rescue her for her long sleep. I think the ending could be different, however if this book was shared with younger children they might still enjoy it as they may not analyse it in detail. I think this could be used with KS2 children to explore alternative endings and it might also spark some interesting discussions about the characters and their morals. I think hot seating and drama strategies would also be a good technique to explore the characters thoughts an feelings to perhaps justify why the ending was how it is.

[Carrie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be satire right? My coworker read it to me at work and like hey man what?? Very funny not sure if that’s on purpose. It does acknowledge the existence of conversation pieces in children’s media and hey that’s pretty great.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun take on this fairy tale.

[Scout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book with a good message. Much better than Princess Smartypants.

[DeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute fairytale.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on the traditional "sleeping princess tale" I liked how the pretty girl was ugly on the inside and the "ugly" ('plain' girl) was beautiful on the inside. However, I would have liked to see, instead of labeling the girl in this story as ugly to rather explore the beauty in her traditionally "not pretty" features. Similarly I don't like the message that "Plain Jane" can't bag a guy who has riches and jewels, that the prince that is obtainable is the one who is dirt poor. I think that it is saying something about the standards of her inner-beauty like, you can cut it for a "poor" prince, but if a wealthy prince was in the same situation, no way. And even then it was only because of a magic wish. I would have much preferred that the prince woke up the princess and seen the awful character she was and asked the fairy to put her back to sleep, and then it had the same ending. Also the ending seemed uncharacteristic for Plain Jane, who was nothing but kind to the princess, to leave the girl sleeping... and use her as a coat rack. It seemed a bit mean, which was not in the homely girls character at all (she did, after all use her first two wishes to free the princess of the curses the fairy put on her)

The names in this book though are cute. I enjoyed the fact that the beautiful princess has misery in her name (as well as the other princesses). Other than that, wasn't much I liked.

[Sam Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last page:

"Moral:
Let sleeping princesses lie
or lying princesses sleep,
whichever seems wisest."

This is an excellent beginning reader book. The illustrations are totally secondary, but Yolen is great. I like how she handled the description of Plain Jane: "Her hair was short and turned down. Her nose was long and turned up. And even if they had been the other way 'round she would not have been a great beauty." That is, not any one feature or other makes you plain, but being plain is not a big deal.

And I like that Jane's last wish is for herself.

There are a couple of things I don't like, narratively speaking. I wish the prince didn't need magic to love Jane, for example, but it gets better after that point. The house the prince builds is awesome. Their kids are awesome (this is when the illustrations get more important).

Definitely worth getting for a beginning reader.

[Herbie Behm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sleeping ugly is a fractured version of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. In this version there are 2 princesses. The first is very beautiful on the outside but very ugly on the inside while the second is the opposite, she is very plain on the outside while she is beautiful on the inside. The illustrations of this book were very good and symmetrical to the story book. The lesson that this book reveals to it’s readers was a very good one. It shows that beauty is only skin deep and that looks can be deceiving. Personally I disagreed with how the book had an “ugly” princess. Although it showed that she was beautiful on the inside it seemed to reinforce the societal norm of first judging people on their looks and then getting to know them. I’m just a little biased because I think people should refrain from using the word ugly when referring to people because that’s such a sensitive subject, especially in young girls which is the target audience for this book.

[Ally Lybbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture Book, Folktale- fairy tale retelling
I really want this to read aloud and talk about with students.
I think it would be an awesome conversation starter about manners and how to treat others with respect.
The illustrations are a little out of date

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few of Jane Yolen's books and normally do find them quite good, especially Briar Rose which was also rather dark. And so not having heard of Sleeping Ugly I was rather excited to give this book a try even if it meant doing some book exchanging with my niece to do so.

Sleeping Ugly starts off like any other normal fairy tale with a gorgeous princess whose name and actions tell you exactly what type of horrible being she is. Meanwhile deep in the woods far away there is another young woman who is the complete opposite of this princess who in spirit is the type of Disney princess that we all aspire to be but only if we get the looks of the former.

Fortunately for Princess Miserella after being dumped far far in the woods she does come upon a witch who is probably one of the nicest ones out there since even with all her horrid bratty behavior she doesn't get changed into anything as punishments for her misdeeds. But eventually the two young women meet up while a circus abounds in which the clear winner is up to anyone's guess at this point.

The book isn't too big, rather comedic at points and includes illustrations that are mostly black-and-white although some colored ones are included. The antics will remind many readers who find themselves in a similar position that not all is lost and that sometimes the end result may be more favorable than you can imagine even if you don't have magic to help you out with your own end results.

For those who enjoy nice quick reads with a fantasy element or fairy tale adaptations this is one book that I would highly recommend to pass an hour or two on a drizzly day.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fairy tale that goes to the heart of what they are, a lesson about personal conduct and interactions with people. Those lessons are presented in a form that children can understand and relate to. Princess Miserella is a beautiful woman, but that beauty is only superficial, underneath she is all meanness and wickedness. Being a princess, she is of course wealthy. Plain Jane is exactly what her name implies, she is nowhere near pretty but has a sweet and lovely disposition and is poor. She is kind to the animals of the forest she lives in and they love her for it.
When Miserella gets lost in the forest and encounters a fairy disguised as an old woman, she treats her like she does all others. When the fairy leads Miserella astray, they encounter Plain Jane in her humble abode. At no time does Miserella change her behavior, and she suffers for it while Plain Jane is eventually rewarded.
The lessons here are simple, old and yet very appropriate. A beautiful person can be ugly inside while the plain old girl can be a jewel underneath. Always treat people with kindness, for you never know what they really are. The seemingly inconsequential individual may be someone that holds your fate in their hands. These are essential lessons for life, as applicable a thousand years ago as they are today.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are Grimm fairy tales that illustrate what happens to awful, ugly stepsisters and kind, pretty relatives who get treated like dirt. But Ms. Yolen takes a slightly different tack, pointing out the old adage about how you can’t judge a book by its cover.

We know the beautiful but cruel Miserella is going to get her comeuppance. In fact, she seems to be begging for it as she continues to abuse, insult and spite a fairy who casts one curse after another on her. What is she thinking?

The reward for the kind yet plain Jane who loves animals, flowers and humble living is expected; Miserella’s ultimate fate is not and the happy conclusion is amusing and sweet. The prince is unexpected too as he’s a genial young man who reads fairy tales (as adroitly shown on the dedication page) yet is too poor to go searching for princesses to rescue.

Yet I wonder just a little about the happy ending. Does Prince Jojo love Jane because he recognizes her kind heart (How? They’ve never met before and he falls for her before speak to each other) or because she wished for him to love her?

Never mind. This is a silly, upended fairy tale with able illustrations. There are worser ones out there.

[Erich · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Princess Miserella
was a beautiful princess
if you counted her eyes
and nose and mouth
and all they way
down to her toes.

This is a delightful tale, smartly told. Clear and simple in its directness, it never talks down to the child reader (or listener). That's just the way I like my books and plays for kids, and it's in the tradition of the classics. Similarly, its high quality renders the story enjoyable for any age, though the book itself was created for very young readers.

And while the take on femininity is contemporary and it borrows from the old stories, it avoids the silliness of "updating" in the form of revisionism. That can be intellectually amusing, but it also whitewashes the past, which I believe is best left as is, that we might genuinely learn from what it has to offer, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Which brings me to the illustrations by Diane Stanley, which are equally clever and delightful and walk a line of honesty without being offensive.

I am looking forward to reading more and sending to my nephews and nieces.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A twisted fairy tale? I'm always in for one of those! This one a vaguely remember reading from my childhood. I forgot about it over the years and when I came upon it I was whisked back to a potentially false narrative of my younger, wonder years. Sleeping Ugly (1981) by Jane Yolen is about a vain and selfish, yet gorgeous princess who goes out riding one day, gets lost in the woods, and finds a fairy and demands that she take her back to her palace, only to come upon a little cottage that belongs to a plain-Jane type. From there, there are some fun twists and turns, and the moral of the story is interesting and holds some truth to it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (unless you're blind, then it is drawn upon the other senses). While I did enjoy it, it wasn't as fun as when I was a youngster, but it does say something as to the person I was and felt about things. It was so different from what we are used to hearing and thinking that I connected with that being different personally. My rating - 3/5

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book. One character seems to start by facilitating bad behavior, by blocking all consequences of bad behavior, which seems very unwise because the one behaving badly then has no natural consequences to learn from. And then that character blocking naturally consequences of the bad behaving person goes to not letting that poorly behaving person have an eternal punishment for their bad behavior. So in this story there are no natural consequences for bad behavior, no learning, and no second chances to behave better. Definitely not the world I would want to live in or to have any of my friends and family live in. There's so many other good book out there. I'd skip this one. Unless you are trying to raise the discussion of why it's important for people to have consequences to their behavior so they can learn and make better choices in the future.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Let sleeping princesses lie or lying princesses sleep, whichever seems wisest."

Princess Miserella is beautiful on the outside, but mean and nasty on the inside. Plain Jane is homely on the outside, but beautiful on the inside. When Miserella gets lost in the woods, she trips over an old lady who happens to be a fairy. They both go to the house of Jane. But through Miserella's hateful actions, they all end up asleep until Prince Jo Jo comes along. He practices kissing the old woman and Jane first, but before he kisses Miserella, Jane wishes that Jo Jo would love her. The fairy grants the wish and they never wake up Miserella.

[Cleo Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the traditional "sleeping princess tale". It shows that beauty is only skin deep and that looks can be deceiving. It could be a good read aloud book followed by a discussion on how appearance is not everything. It could also be recommended for ages 7 and up for independant reading.

[Leilani Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked this story until the end. Having Plain Jane use a wish to make Jojo love her isn't okay and she had already used two of her wishes to help the mean princess, so why would she be okay with leaving the princess as a coat rack. I'm not saying Miserella didn't deserve to be a coat rack, but Plain Jane was shown to be a better person than that.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting sort of variation on Sleeping Beauty, with a few references while also being it's own thing. It's definitely a moralistic tale. I keep kind of wishing childen's lit would try a little more nuance sometimes though. Kids can handle it.

[birdiezone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago but I was just recently reminded of it from realizing that it was authored by Jane Yolen (I was thinking of Janet Yellen, the former chair of the Fed).

Anyways, I loved this story and the accompanying illustrations!

[Katie Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent example of a subverted fairy tale--perfect for Second Grade!

[A. Mickey Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice. I like it.

[Jaymin Ewens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remains one of my favorite children's books of all time.

[Linda Crowl]

Surprising changes in the fairy tale.