The Duchess of Whimsy

Known for "her elaborate attire, her uncommon conversation, and her most peculiar pets," the Duchess of Whimsy was always the life of the party. What chance did the Earl of Norm - whose clothing, dog, and conversation were as ordinary as could be - have at winning her heart? Unfortunately, the Earl was desperately in love, and left no stone unturned in his efforts to catch her attention. When his outlandish gestures - bringing a giraffe to one of the Duchess' soirées, composing "sugary poetry" that made him an object of ridicule - all failed, it seemed that the Earl's love would remain unrequited. And then...

An engaging original fairy-tale, The Duchess of Whimsy manages to teach an important lesson - that the ordinary and simple can show more have great appeal - without descending into the annoying didacticism that ruins many "issues-driven" picture-books. The illustrations by Peter de Sève are simply delightful - humorous, and full of an exuberant sense of fun. Fairy-tale fans will not want to miss this modern take on the genre! show less

In this sweet, silly, fairytale-esque story, the Duchess of Whimsy is uninterested in the Earl of Norm, until the cook is indisposed and Earl's "ordinary" grilled cheese sandwich and glass of milk suddenly looks appealing. As they talk over the meal, they find they have much more in common than either of them thought!

This charmingly illustrated little book is a classic story of opposites attracted to one another. The Duchess of Whimsy is a typical flighty character who wants absolutely everything to be grandiose, extraordinary, and imaginitive, but the simplicity of a grilled cheese sandwich makes her reconsider her opinions about the allegedly too-normal Earl of Norm. Who knows what kind of cheese was in that sandwich, but I can definitely imagine being won over by cheese; they are all amazingly delicious after all!

The Duchess of Whimsy has always been whimsical in her love of all things, well, whimsical. She surrounds herself with strange pets and intriguing people, she wears the most extravagant of dresses and talks of all things peculiar. But the one thing she can not stand is boring normal. Or so everyone thought...

The Earl of Norm has always been quite sensible in his liking of everything normal. He has the most ordinary of pets and dresses in typical clothing. He talks only to the most level-headed of people on the most drab of topics. But the one thing he can not be is extraordinarily whimsical. Or so everyone thought...

The Duchess Of Whimsy and the Earl Of Norm are two people who know very little about each other except for what they see show more on the outside, but once they get to really know each other they discover that they have more in common then either could have imagined. A perfectly charming story illustrated in dreamy watercolour. show less

Aww... so sweet, with such original, and rich, illustrations. A tiny bit long-wiinded for a rather simple point, but the reader won't care because the details in the pix entrance.

The Duchess of Whimsy likes very fancy things, including fancy parties ("extravagant soirees") and "peculiar pets" like an octopus and baby elephant with wings. She is incredibly difficult to please and contrasts sharply with the Earl of Norm, who seems rather "ordinary" next to her. What complicates matters is that the Earl of Norm is in love with the Duchess of Whimsy, but finds it impossible to catch her attention. She prances around with toes painted every different color and ignores his elaborate attempts to impress her. That is, until the Cook became sick one night, and the Earl fixes a meal the Duchess cannot resist. They find out they have more in common than originally thought.

Peter de Seve's illustrations are an absolute show more delight; the characters and situations are exaggerated, just like the story, but done so in a humorous, charming manner. Children will love these whimsical, colorful pictures and the equally whimsical, colorful story.

An online reading of the story: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/publishersoffice/screeningroom/0910/peng... show less

I liked book for its simple story and beautiful art. I feel like for how simple the story is the language is complex, which could be good for working on expanding vocabulary, especially as a read aloud book, but might make it hard for younger kids to read. The pictures are bright and complex, and lend themselves to examination and conversation; the story is the basic “don’t judge a book by its cover” moral tale.