Goose Girl - Hardcover

Kimmel, Eric A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823410749 ISBN 13: 9780823410743

Publisher: Holiday House, 1995

Synopsis

Journeying to the kingdom of her betrothed, a golden-haired princess is betrayed by a wicked serving girl who forces her to change clothes and horses, condemning the princess to herd geese in the meadow.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 1-3?Kimmel's retelling sticks closely to the Grimms' tale of a princess whose serving girl forces her to reverse roles during the long journey to meet her betrothed. While the princess is relegated to tending the geese, the evil impostor is welcomed into the castle and has Falada, the enchanted horse, put to death. His magic, however, has not died, and it is the words of her faithful animal and the kindness of the king that eventually restores the princess to her rightful place. Sauber, who collaborated with Kimmel in I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where (Holiday, 1994), frames each page in a decorative border. The story is propelled by Kimmel's perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings, achieved through a sense of rapid dashes of color, with some scenes having an almost unfinished quality. The artist also pushes many of the details beyond the borders and makes the most of the princess's flowing, flaming tresses. Most libraries will want to own this title.?Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This Brothers Grimm story of a good-hearted princess usurped by her maid and turned into a common goose girl is classic fairy tale fodder, and Kimmel revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre. Kimmel's princess is sweet and demure, like most fairy tale princesses are. (So much so that she puts up with her maid's abuses for fear of being rude, even after she's forced to fetch her own drink of water and-horrors!-soil her beautiful dress.) In this world a dead horse waxes poetic, the evil maid is cruelly punished and the princess sits in the foreground of a pastoral setting while her hair sparkles "in the sunlight like threads of pure gold." Sauber's (I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where) earthy colors and loose brush strokes combine for a painterly look that effectively portrays the romance of this fantasy land; each piece of artwork is framed with a decorative border. With its castles and steeds, noblesse oblige and happy ending, this is a good choice for those looking for old-fashioned make-believe. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-6. In this picture-book retelling for older readers, a young princess, naive in the ways of the world, is sent to marry the prince of a distant kingdom. After losing the protective charm her mother gave her, she falls prey to the greedy ambition of her serving maid, who steals her clothes, usurps her place, and kills her talking horse, Falada. Through the intercession of a goose boy, Falada (who continues to talk), and a wise king, the ruse is discovered, the princess restored, and the serving maid brutally punished. Kimmel's polished retelling of the tale is given lively support by Sauber's energetic paintings, with picture-frame borders adding a bit of formality to the robust interpretations. Although the faces depicted in the smaller illustrations are not always clear, the large character portraits burst with personality, and the rich textures of the clothing and goods give the whole a sense of earthy immediacy. This is one of those picture books that needs to find its way into the hands of older children and adolescents; they'll be the audience best equipped to appreciate the artwork's romantic appeal and the stark justice of the story. Janice Del Negro

Edition details

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0823410749
• ISBN 13: 9780823410743
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Sauber Robert
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32