The Twelve Dancing Princesses

The cover image above doesn't even begin to do it justice....really! With every turn of the page the tale unfolds with a picture even more beautiful than the last. You'll be charmed by the young princesses as they indulge in their unknown nightly festivities with zest and vigor whilst during the day, they drag their feet too tired to even show any effort. You'll swoon as the young royal shoemaker explores the reasons behind the young ladies sudden shoe abuse and reveals such a courageous and noble heart...even the king makes recognition. You'll be amazed at the underground world the ladies swirl and twirl through,unseen by their sleeping eyes.

For those who've never read the original story to those who are conesseurs of the fairytale world, this is one edition I'd certainly recommend adding to your collection. Young readers will not doubt enjoy the story as they pick their favorite princess to follow throughout (mine would be Poppy and Bluebell as I adore their dress colors!), while older readers will marvel at the extensive color pallette explored in this rendition; a true masterpiece through and through.

*review copy received in exchange for my honest review ( )

In this beautifully illustrated book, Barrager retells the classic Grimm fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses who mysteriously wear out their shoes every night. In this version of the story the king becomes concerned that his daughters won’t be able to rule the kingdom one day because all they do is nap. So he makes a proclamation, the person who can solve the mystery shall have their hearts desire. Doctors, scientists, and others do their best, but it is the cobbler, Pip, who figures out the secret. He follows the sleepwalking princesses through the trap door in their room, through the silver, gold, and diamond forest, to the magical ballroom where they dance all night in their sleep. Pip breaks the spell, saves the princesses, and they all live happily ever after.

I like this version of the story for younger kids because it moves along quickly with just a few sentences per page. This version is also unique in that the princesses are under a spell, instead of tricking their father. There are versions of the story that use text to paint more detailed descriptions of the magical world and the perils of following the princesses through the forest multiple times, however Barrager chooses to be more concise with her words and lets her illustrations do the rest. Speaking of illustrations, they have a wonderful 1950’s retro feel to them, reminiscent of Mary Blair’s work. Barrager weaves images of vines with curling leaves into nearly every page. The characters are whimsical and stylish; I especially love Pip’s pompadour.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-114-twelve-dancing-princesses.h...

Brigette Barrager has retold this classic story in a way that is just right for younger children. She's pared away the parts of the story that preschoolers might not like, and provided plenty of interesting images in their stead.

In this version, the princesses dance away the night, but aren't aware -- like they are in the Barbie version -- of what they are doing. Instead they are sleepy all day, and it's that sleepiness that has their father, the king, offering treasure to whoever can solve the mystery.

The illustrations feature large-eyed princesses, and a cute shoemaker-hero. They remind me of the Little Golden books I read as a child.

Nice read-aloud.
Would make a nice gift too.

Pam T
mom/blogger
booksforkids-reviews ( )