More Princess and the Frog

Even though I know just about everyone is already sick of reading about it, here are two more articles with quotes about the upcoming movie. I will keep offering links to the most interesting or unusual ones. As for me, I'm ready to see it and make my own evaluations. Actually, this much hype makes me dread seeing it, but I'm difficult like that, just ask my family.

Q & A with 'Princess and the Frog' animators: Ron Clements and John Musker talk about their fairy tale 'valentine' to New Orleans by Susan King for The Los Angeles Times

Q: What is the genesis of "The Princess and the Frog?"

Ron Clements: Disney has actually been interested in the "Frog Prince" all the way back to "Beauty and the Beast." They never got a version they were totally happy with. Weirdly enough, Pixar had been developing versions and they never got quite a version they were happy with. Their version actually started in Chicago and then moved to New Orleans partly because that is John Lasseter's favorite city in the world.

Even more recently, Disney bought the rights to a book called 'The Frog Princess' by an author called E.D. Baker and that was a twist on the fairy tale. In that book, when the princess kissed the frog she became a frog.

We looked at multiple Disney versions and the Pixar version. We took elements actually from everything and came up with our version, which is basically an American fairy tale set in New Orleans in the 1920s. John Musker: Before we wrote the script, John said, 'You have to go down to New Orleans and experience it first hand.' Neither one of us had been in New Orleans.

Someday My Princess Will Come by Rachel Bertsche for Oprah.com

Efforts to affect change are never without controversy, even when they come from the purest, most magical land. In December, Walt Disney animation is returning to its hand-drawn roots to introduce someone little girls have never met before: an African-American princess. The Princess and the Frog revolves around Princess Tianna, a 1920s New Orleans waitress and aspiring restaurant owner who is persuaded to kiss a frog in order to turn him back into a human (Oprah voices the princess's mother). But in this rendition of the classic fairy tale, the amphibian doesn't become a prince. Instead, the princess becomes a frog.

The depiction of Princess Tianna is a landmark decision for The Mouse. There have been white, Asian, Native American and Arab heroines, so it seems the time for an African-American princess is long overdue. "[Princess Tianna] delivers affirmation to little girls who look like this girl," says Anika Noni Rose, who voices the barrier-breaking princess. "She delivers a sense of partnership between other little girls who have friends and family members who look like Tianna. I think in the world of fantasy, and I'm not just talking about Disney, the dark character has always been associated with evil—the black hat is the bad cowboy—and this is the flip. It's wonderful to see something different, and it will be effective on many fronts to many children, and consequently to many adults years from now."

Rumpelstiltskin by David Sawer

Recently on stage and getting its own post because it stands out from the holiday season of other fare: Rumpelstiltskin, CBSO Centre, Birmingham: The wordless reworking of a classic fairy tale makes its timeless message more alarming than ever reviewed by Anna Picard

In Rumpelstiltskin, Sawer's score is a rich broth of Petrushka-esque carnival music, Depression-era dance music and melancholy doynas, with 13 instruments providing the voices of the silent actors. It's a work that is hard to categorise, neither dance nor opera, but storytelling through music and movement.

With shades of Erich von Stroheim's silent film classic Greed in the lighting designs of Mimi Jordan Sherin, Richard Jones's tart, sharp production has Rumpelstiltskin (Sarah Fahie) as a tiny, gold-toothed vagabond. Crippled by debt and drink, the miller (Chris Harrison-Kerr) is hiding from two bailiffs whose pacing feet set the rhythm of the opening dance for double-bass, bassoon and tuba. Muted trumpet and horn announce the distraint of table, chair, even a cobweb, and, in one fantastical, desperate lie, the miller consigns his daughter (Bryony Perkins) to spin straw into gold for the king (Nicholas Lawson). Imprisoned in the wooden box that is Stewart Laing's set, Perkins weeps to a quartet of violin, viola, cello and harp (the players painted, like the actors, with the monochrome cosmetics of early cinema). Pale pizzicato figures cast a chilly spell as the box slides shut and Rumpelstiltskin sets to work, his fee the first-born child of the girl.

Fairy Tale Origami

Storytime Origami by John Montroll came out earlier this year and delights me no end.

Publisher's description:

Beginning to advanced folders can bring four classic children's stories to life with the origami models in this delightful new book from Dover's bestselling origami author. Thirty-seven different models re-create characters and scenes from "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "The Three Little Pigs," "Humpty-Dumpty," and "Cinderella."

I love this concept, especially since I love origami. My one sure-fire stand by, "always know it origami", is a swan which I have made hundreds of times over the years. Sometimes I have told a condensed version of The Ugly Duckling as I have folded it for an audience of one or more. This has saved many a melt-down moment for the children in my life since only a piece of paper is needed, nothing else. If I have a regular sheet of paper (8.5 x 11), I can make an entire swan family with the many squares I can derive from it.

Now this expands the concept for more fairy tales and is just fun by itself.

Another wonderful application would be an inexpensive display of the origami figures, especially in a school or library display case. I considered doing one long ago when I was in charge of a few displays...

And most of the kids I know are fascinated with paper folding so they should enjoy it, too. I haven't seen the book in person yet--just learned about it--but Dover site's sample pages show that the diagrams look easy enough to follow, unlike some other origami books I've used.

Fairy Tales, but Strictly Adults-Only

Here's a link to an article--Fairy Tales, but Strictly Adults-Only by Carol Kino--from The New York Times about Paul McCarthy's new "White Snow" exhibit. Be warned that the content is adults-only, albeit it is still media friendly since this is a newspaper article. Still the descriptions may be disturbing to some and I'm including this link as news. The following excerpt will give you an idea of what is described.

Then there were the drawings on the walls: storyboardlike groupings that play off the fairy tale “Snow White,” they are sexual and scatological, to be sure, but also gorgeously made, as though the ribald, pop-culture-obsessed provocateur had suddenly revealed himself to be an old master. Mr. McCarthy, although he is said to dislike interviews, proved to be surprisingly voluble about the works.

Not my taste in art--I'm not much for shock art and the feelings it portrays and incites--but after some personal debate I am linking here to show that once again fairy tales appear in many places.

Once Upon a Time Game

The Once Upon a Time card game, like Enchanted Forest, has been around for several years, first released in 1996. I have had many teachers and families tell me that they have enjoyed this game over the years. It's the one I've had the most feedback for so I didn't want to neglect it during my postings about games and toys with fairy tale themes this month. This game is for older children and up. It generally doesn't easily adapt well for the pre-reading set.

Here's the official description:

Once Upon A Time is a game in which the players create a story together, using cards that show typical elements from fairy tales. One player is the Storyteller, and creates a story using the ingredients on her cards. She tries to guide the plot towards her own ending. The other players try to use cards to interrupt her and become the new Storyteller. The winner is the first player to play out all her cards and end with her Happy Ever After card.

There are also two expansion packs, one with additional themes that are called "dark" by the producer, Atlas Games, but not generally considered as such by players. Several have complained that the elements aren't dark enough and expect different elements but still like having more cards to use all the same.

There is also a "draw your own" pack for those who like matching sets but want to add their own elements to the game.


Once Upon a Time: Dark Tales


Once Upon a Time: Create-Your-Own Storytelling Cards

Breton Storytelling Month

Found this short article:

Of Fairy Tales and Folklore by Elizabeth Dearnley: As the nights get longer and darker, Elizabeth Dearnley welcomes the return of folk legends and fairy tales told round the fire.

Here's the first paragraph, but as always, you have to click through to read it in full:

Once upon a time there was a girl living in a wood. Or a cowherd’s youngest son. Or a prince seeking adventure. Or a malevolent witch. The details may change, but the impulses guiding the telling of fairy tales remain the same. She will be beautiful, and he will be handsome, and evil will be vanquished and they will live happily ever after. But within this overarching narrative is a kaleidoscope of possibilities. Shake the tube, and a different glittering tale is formed. And this reforming has happened again and again; throughout human history, from neolithic campfires to the sugary technicolor of Disney, fairy and folk tales have formed an essential part of the way we see and understand the world.

Of course, for this blog's readers the article is preaching to the choir and such--and we don't need a specific time or season for folklore--but it's wonderful to see the sentiment spread to the masses...

Fairy Tale Feasts

This is not a new book--it came out in 2006--but it is one that I've been thinking about as the holidays of feasting come upon us over the next few months, especially here in the U.S. with Thanksgiving next week.

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers And Eaters by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple is available in hardcover and paperback. Several smaller editions using one theme each (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert) were also released this past summer.

Review from School Library Journal:

This collection of 20 fairy tales, each accompanied by at least one recipe, is an oversized, glossy concoction. Most of the stories are European, told in a conversational tone mixing tradition with a dash of the modern (in Cinderella, for instance, …a fairy–with wings and a wand and who knew a wish when she heard it–appeared before her, wrapped in stars.) Toddlers will enjoy The Runaway Pancake, while fourth and fifth graders will appreciate Yolen's Snow White (this heroine doesn't pull any punches). The recipes include tasty-sounding dishes like Very French Toast (to go with the French folktale Diamonds and Toads). Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert are all represented. The dishes will be best for experienced cooks, as some judgment calls are in order (serves a family is stated several times). Sidebars throughout give interesting facts about the stories and the recipes. Yolen's knowledge of folklore shows in her tidbits about the tales and their origins. Many of the food facts are intriguing, too. For instance, alongside the Stone Soup recipe is a note that Al Capone set up Chicago's first soup kitchen. Beha's illustrations, with bright colors and bold, simple lines, are set off by lots of white space, adding to the appealing and accessible look. This is similar to Carol MacGregor's The Fairy Tale Cookbook (Macmillan, 1982; o.p.), but that book does not include complete stories. A fun book for family sharing.

Review from Booklist:

From prehistoric times, stories and food have been "close companions," say Yolen and her daughter, who contributed the recipes in this creative book, which folds fairy tales into a cookbook of kid-friendly recipes. The stories, with the exception of one original story by Yolen, represent mostly European folktales, and Yolen retells them with her usual verve and ease. The tales are divided into four sections (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert), and each story is paired with at least one recipe that connects with the story's themes or references. For example, "Cinderella" inspires a recipe for pumpkin tarts, and "The Runaway Pancake" is matched with instructions for, naturally, "Runaway Pancakes." Stemple's recipes require adult supervision, but the resulting dishes, as well as Beha's spare, whimsical spot illustrations, will capture children's fancy. Detailed marginalia greatly enhance both the folktales and the food sections of this charming offering, which the whole family will appreciate.

And they say it so much better than me. I bought this one for myself when it was released, especially after reading Jane's blog about writing it. The recipes are approachable for kids, usually not requiring very adventurous tastes, although "seaweed" stuffed shells might intimidate some until they realize it is spinach--unless spinach makes it worse. I've always adored spinach at every age so it's certainly not an issue for me.

And for the completist, here are two other fairy tale cookbooks, now out of print, but available used or perhaps through your local library.


The Fairy Tale Cookbook: Fun Recipes for Families to Create and Eat Together

The Fairy Tale Cookbook is a collection of clever and tasty recipes for families to enjoy together. All the foods and menus are based on creative thinking about characters and stories in fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and other children's literature. Recipes include Paul Bunyan's flapjacks, Stone Soup (sans geological ingredients) and the Three Bears' porridge (made with potatoes, condensed milk and an onion).

The Fairy Tale Cookbook by Carol MacGregor (1983)

A collection of recipes for a variety of dishes based on such well-known tales as "The Three Bears," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Stone soup." Each recipe is introduced by a brief summary of the original tale.

And I had to sneak in this one, already out of print. No fairy tales, but classic children's literature is the theme. Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer: A Golden Treasury of Classic Treats includes recipes related to Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women and several other books including some that are more popular in the UK than here. Here's the publisher's description:

If as a child you devoured Enid Blyton's classics like the Famous Five or Malory Towers, or loved to lose yourself in the adventures of Pippi Longstocking or What Katy Did, then CHERRY CAKE AND GINGER BEER is the book for you. A wonderfully nostalgic cookery book, it will take you straight back to your favourite children's books and show you how to cook the feel-good foods that feature so strongly in them. So, you'll find recipes for Swallows and Amazons Squashed-Fly Biscuits, the Famous Five's Gorgeous Ginger Beer, and Gloriously Sticky Marmalade Roll from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe amongst others. Divided into appropriate sections like Proper Elevenses, Picnic Treats and Lessons in the Kitchen each recipe is introduced with an evocative description of the book that inspired it. Guaranteed to take you straight back to your childhood, the book is an escapist treat for grown-ups and will encourage you to re-visit much-loved classics and share them with the next generation.

This one is also out of print and getting expensive, but it is cheaper to purchase it in the United Kingdom than the US even with the shipping costs.

Happy Birthday, Fractured Fairy Tales

My first awareness of fairy tale fracturing came from two sources at a very young age. The first was The Berenstain Bears' Nursery Tales which was written more for straight humor before the bears became so overwhelmingly didactic. And, no, it's not very fractured, but it used the bears for some of the retellings which was enough to be a revelation to my toddler brain.


But the most important source, and the true lesson in fracturing, came from watching Rocky and Bullwinkle and seeing the Fractured Fairy Tales segments. Well, this week is apparently the 50th anniversary of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show's tv debut, so I thought I'd celebrate Fractured Fairy Tales while I was here.

Here's a great article about the anniversary: Happy 50th Birthday, Rocky & Bullwinkle! Moose and Squirrel Through the Years

It's a great article about the entire show and mentions the fractured fairy tales unlike most of the shorter articles in the media celebration today.

Here's my own bit about the series from the Fairy Tale Timeline on SurLaLune:

Jay Ward's "Rocky and His Friends" premieres on November 19, 1959 at 6:30 PM on ABC. One of its popular "shows within a show" is the Fractured Fairy Tales segment. The fairy tale segments are replaced the second year but return later after viewers write to the network and request that Fractured Fairy Tales return. In 1961, the show moves to NBC and is renamed "The Bullwinkle Show." A total of 91 four and a half minute fairy tales are produced. Later syndicated, the show has remained a cult classic.

And really, these were such a nice balance to the Disney retellings and more readily seen before the advent of home video. Syndication kept these visible for a very long time to several generations of kids and their grown-ups.



Several of the fractured tales are available on YouTube in blurry versions, but many are available on DVD now. There is one volume of just the tales, not all 91, but some of the best ones anyway, and there are three seasons of Rocky and Bullwinkle available, too. (That link to the list shows which tales show up on which DVDs, by the way, if you are interested.)


The Best of Fractured Fairy Tales, Vol. 1 (This has 15 tales on it.)


Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: The Complete First Season


Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: The Complete Second Season


Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: The Complete Third Season



I limited myself to embedding three of the videos in this post. I'm so proud.

I admit one of my favorite elements is Edward Everett Horton's narration. When I grew up, I discovered him as a character actor, especially in so many Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. But his voice always reminded me of fairy tales...


And because I will get emails otherwise, A. J. Jacobs wrote some of his own fractured fairy tales under the brand name and published a book of the tales ten years ago. I prefer the video shorts myself, but these are fun, too.

Russian Nesting Dolls

Red Riding Hood Nesting Doll

Russian matryoshkas otherwise known as nesting dolls have a wonderful history, albeit one that is only about 120 years old. For Europe, that's a short history!

During my fairy tale toy searches, I discovered these gems. They aren't priced for anyone but serious collectors, not really for toys, but I wanted to share these for their beauty alone.


Snow Queen Matryoshka Doll

Read the tale here.


The Firebird (This is one of my favorites.)

Read the tale here.


The Frog Princess Nesting Doll This one was another favorite, perhaps the top one.

Read the tale here.


Masha and The Bear Matryoshka

Read the tale here.


Silver Hoof Russian Nesting Doll (This is one of my favorite designs although I wasn't familiar with the tale.)

Read the tale here.

New Ocean to form inside Africa ?

A 35-mile rift in the desert of Ethiopia will eventually become a new ocean or sea, researchers now confirm. The crack, 20 feet wide in spots, opened in 2005. Some geologists believed then that it would spawn a new
ocean. But that view was controversial, and the rift had not been well studied. More after the break...

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Smart Crows Video

Top 10 Ways To Impress Her Mom

No.1 - Just get her a card

The No.1 way to impress her mom on Mother's Day is to keep it simple, and a card is your best bet. It's understated, it's the holiday standard and you really have to screw up a card in order to have it interpreted as you trying too hard or as you not doing enough. Read more after the break...

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Anna Kournikova in Miami

Anna Kournikova in Miami, 07 more images after the break...

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Gorgeous Riya Sen Photoshoot

Gorgeous Riya Sen Photoshoot. Bengali Babe and b0mb shell Riya Sen looks scorching h0t in the latest photoshoot. She has very cute face and due to that she still looks like a college girl. 08 more images after the break...

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Seven Wonders Of India

1.Shravanabelagola or Gomateshwara

The 17.8 m monolith of Jain prophet Bhagavan Gomateshwara Bahubali, which was carved out around 983 C.E and is located in Shravanabelagola, India, is anointed with saffron every 12 years by thousands of devotees as part of the Mahamastakabhisheka festival. The colossal monolithic statue of Gomateshwara (Shravanabelagola is a synonymous word), also called as Bahubali the Jain saint, created around 983 C.E by Chamundaraya, a minister of the Ganga King, Rachamalla (Raachmalla SathyaVaak IV 975-986 C.E) is located atop the Chandragiri hill (618 steps climb leads to the monolith on the hill), near the town of Shravanabelagola in Karnataka state. This statue is said to have been carved out of a single block of fine-grained white granite and is considered of great religious significance because Jains believe Bahubali was the first to attain moksha (freedom from cycle of birth and death). The image stands on a lotus. It has no support up to the thighs and is 60 feet (18 m) tall with the face measuring 6.5 feet (2.0 m). The statue is completely in the nude, in the Jain custom and is visible from a distance of 30 km.With the serene expression on the face of the image, its curled hair with graceful locks, its proportional anatomy, the monolith size, and the combination of its artistry and craftsmanship have led it to be called the mightiest achievement in sculptural art in medieval Karnataka. It is the largest monolithic statue in the world.
The neighbouring areas of Shravanabelagola, apart from the Gomateshwara statue, have Jaina bastis and several images of the Jaina Thirthankaras. A beautiful view of the surrounding areas could be seen from the top of the Chandragiri hill. Every 12 years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the thousand-year-old statue is anointed with milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins. The anointing last took place in February 2006, and the next ceremony will occur in 2018. 06 more after the break...

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Recent Releases

Besides the Goldilocks and the Three Bears from Lauren Child I've posted about previously, 2009 has brought us two other Goldilocks by well-known illustrators.

The first, Goldilocks by Ruth Sanderson, came out in October. Sanderson is no stranger to fairy tales, having had great success already with her Twelve Dancing Princesses, Snow White and Rose Red, and Cinderella among others. (Just look at the used prices on her out-of-print titles to gauge her popularity!)

I haven't seen any reviews for the book yet--it is perhaps too new, but I'm sure it is as lovely as her previous work. (No, I haven't seen a physical copy yet. My closest bookstore is a Books-a-Million ten miles away. Not very helpful for scouting the types of books I offer here.)


Earlier this year, before I started this blog, we also had Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Gennady Spirin. Spirin, too, has illustrated other fairy tales previously. One of my favorites of is The Tale of the Firebird.

A review from Publishers Weekly:

In his adaptation of the Goldilocks story, Spirin's (The Lord Is My Shepherd) lush colored pencil and watercolor spreads are as elaborate as the text is simple. Against white backdrops, Goldilocks and the bears are drawn in great realistic detail, along with judicious use of ornate setting details and delicate page ornamentation. These bears have fierce claws and teeth, but their apparel is nothing short of royal, dotted with jewels and pearls, and trimmed with feathers and gold. The text, conversely, is completely free of metaphors or complex sentences, the story stripped to its tag-line essence: "Who's been sitting in my chair?" asks each bear parent as Little Bear laments, "My chair's broken!" The suspenseful scene as the bears find Goldilocks asleep in Little Bear's well-appointed bed is followed by an abrupt illustration in which Goldilocks runs away, looking more gleeful than terrified, as each of the bears says, "Bye," and the narrator informs the reader, "And that's the end of the story!" Goldilocks' face doesn't always transmit her emotions clearly, but overall this is an enchanting-visually, at least-version. Ages 3-7.

A review from School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2—Spirin's version of this classic pairs a simple, straightforward retelling with lush Renaissance costumes and elegant page designs. The bears, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, are solid, realistic creatures, revealing sharp teeth and claws. Papa and Mama Bear, generally appearing together in their fur-trimmed garments, dominate their vertical space—in contrast to their diminutive son. The setting is created with richly realized essentials: solid porridge bowls, carved chairs, ornate beds, a massive stucco and wood-trimmed dwelling. Expansive white space surrounds the characters on most spreads, with embellished lines creating decorative, horizontal borders on selected pages. The creatures seem to regard their intruder more as a curiosity than a criminal; as the golden-haired child runs away down the path, they simply wave and call out their farewells. A source note concludes the text. The Goldilocks shelf is crowded; readers can turn to James Marshall for humor, Jan Brett for details, Valeri Gorbachev for whimsy, and Jim Aylesworth for Victorian, to name but a few. This newcomer will be embraced for its visual clarity and sumptuous style at storytimes and bedtimes alike. —Wendy Lukehart

I'd add Caralyn Buehner to the short list, too.

So there are quite a few Goldilocks to choose from with these three new ones this year, not including all of the other versions printed as throw-aways by other publishers.

Personally, I'm waiting for someone to do a Silverlocks version...

Early Jim Hensen Fairy Tale Commercials

From Film center's Muppet show brings fairy tale back to life by Barbara Brotman:

Once upon a time, there was an advertising copy writer in New York.

In 1965, she was assigned to write several short industrial films promoting a wrinkle- and stretch-free knit fabric. She decided to write them as parodies -- funny takes on fairy tales or other familiar stories that would reveal the wonders of Pak-nit. She wrote three: "Stretchel and Shrinkel," "Shrinkenstein" and "Rumple Wrinkle Shrinkel Stretchel Stiltzkin."

She hired a creative guy with a beard and a set of puppets to make the films. She traveled to a studio in Washington, D.C., to watch the filming, and as a treat took along her two young daughters. The girls got to meet the puppets, including a smart-alecky frog that played Rumple Wrinkle Shrinkel Stretchel Stiltzkin. The bearded man gave them a piece of the set he had made as a souvenir. It was a hand-painted oven into which a wicked witch shoved twins named Stretchel and Shrinkel, who emerged with their Pak-nit clothing miraculously crisp. The end.

Only not exactly.

The bearded man was Jim Henson. The frog was the future Kermit. The Pak-nit commercials were among the earliest appearances of the Muppets.

The article is considerably longer so click through to read the rest.

Stretchel and Shrinkel is available on YouTube and I've embedded it below.



Rumple Wrinkle Shrinkel Stretchel Stiltzkin is not available on YouTube yet, but the article has a video embedded of it. I think you'll recognize Rumple!

Oh, how I miss Jim Henson, too...I'm thankful his legacy has been carried on by family and friends, but I will always wonder what else he would have accomplished himself.

Snowhite film

Discovered this as a little extra in an article about another movie Arcadia to produce 'Blackthorn':

Rolling in May, and backed by Eurimages funding, "Snowhite" reps a comedy makeover of the Snow White fairytale, transposing it to 1920s Seville. Maribel Verdu ("Tetro") will play the evil stepmother, Cormenzana said. The dwarfs perform as circus bullfighters.

Budgeted at $7.2 million, "Snowhite" will be co-produced with France’s Noodles Prods.

Arcadia is one of the two or three Spanish companies regularly tapping tax breaks in Spain. Tax money reps of 15%-20% of films’ financing, Cormenzana said. Money is channeled through Agrupaciones de Interes Economico — tax deduction companies — which act as official producers on films.

I assume this will be in Spanish, but it's something to look for in the future. Interesting interpretation, definitely. Never really saw the dwarfs as bullfighters before myself.

Rapunzel Ad for GHD Flat Iron

From Beauty label puts a modern twist on Rapunzel:

Hair iron makers ghd have released their new fairytale-inspired TV campaign and it is a welcome diversion from the commonly blunt beauty ads by rather following the current trend for short, narrative-based films in fashion.

Usually reserved for the more poetic fragrance ads, the elements used by ghd in the short create a whole 'world' around the product, in this case the world of Rapunzel, the fairytale character that was famously saved by letting her hair down.

In the modern take of the beauty brand, an emancipated Rapunzel no longer relies on the knight in shining armor to free her from her towering prison: using a straightening iron, her hair becomes longer and helps her escape on her own.

There are also three different print ads using Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella. See those below.


Click on LRRH to see the wolf's tail hanging out of the basket and that the dirt on the ax is blood. Makes me want to style my hair! :)




You can also read more about the ad and product on the GHD website here. This campaign is running in the UK, not the US.

And I admit I'm shocked that Rapunzel isn't used more often for beauty ads. Yes, it would become more cliche, but this is a well-done commercial, IMHO.

Rondo series by Emily Rodda

I'm familiar with Emily Rodda as the author of the Deltora and Rowan of Rin books which were quite popular when I worked as a children's librarian at a real library. Her newer series started to appear in the U.S. last year with The Key To Rondo. The second book was just released in September, The Wizard Of Rondo. It was released earlier this year in Rodda's native Australia and has been shortlisted and even won some children's book awards there.

Now these are not straight fairy tale retellings, but from a few reviews I read, they contain fairy tale characters. See more about that below. They are also aimed at middle readers which is often one of the hardest age levels to find fairy tale related books--besides going to the originals, of course. So I'm offering these as "on the slant" books. They are fantasy and should appeal to the middle readers looking for more fantasy and who like bits of fairy tales thrown into the mix.



Publisher's description for The Key to Rondo:

There are three rules to the old, painted music box: Wind the box three times only. Never shut the box when the music is playing. Never move the box before the music stops.

Leo wouldn't dream of breaking these rules, but does his stubborn cousin Mimi listen? She winds the box four times--and suddenly the paintings on its side come to life and a powerful witch is released. Now it's up to Leo and Mimi to stop the witch, if only they can find the key to the music box--and the magical world it controls.

Publisher's description for The Wizard of Rondo:

When Leo Zifkak inherited an antique music box from his stuffy great-aunt, he never expected that it might hide a wondrous secret. The music box is the portal to a new world, Rondo.

Leo's first visit to Rondo was to rescue his cousin, Mimi, and he almost lost his life. On his second visit, something much more important is at stake - his soul. There's a wizard missing and an innocent young man accused of his death. If Leo and Mimi are to right this wrong, they're going to have to risk everything...

So these remind me of The Neverending Story, of course, among others (which should always be read in its red and green ink version). But for middle readers that trope isn't as well-known. And they are more modern for the savvy kid reader, too.

Here is one of the reviews where fairy tale characters are mentioned: The Key to Rondo Book Review:

The Key to Rondo is fascinating, fun and magical. It offers just the right mix of fantasy and reality. Rodda cleverly incorporates a humorous cast of fairy tale characters like the three little pigs and the troll on the bridge.

And another from Squidoo:

Emily Rodda has written a gem of a story in The Key to Rondo, that will be enjoyed most by ages 7 to 10. Leo and Mimi are well-rounded, complex, and interesting characters and I enjoyed spending time with them. As opposites, they reveal each other's strengths and flaws perfectly and many children will identify easily with either of them.

Rodda writes with a light, skilful touch that makes this a very easy read. Although I found much of the story quite predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed the revelations just as much for the "Hah, I knew it!" feeling. Younger readers will likely still be surprised, and older readers will enjoy the subtle, and not-so-subtle, references to traditional storybook characters and nursery rhymes.

The next book, The Battle for Rondo is already out in Australia but won't be available in the U.S. until next year, so if you create a fan in a child you know or become one yourself, there is more to come...

Fairy Tale Puzzles

Traditionally, my dad receives a puzzle every Christmas and then he spends part of the holiday putting it together with other family members sitting in to help and chat at times. Over the years, we've tried several different puzzles, but in the end we usually enjoy a complex but straightforward big puzzle (over a thousand pieces). This year I'm leaning towards a puzzle that fits my interests especially after I fell in love with a few of the ones I'll share below. How wonderful that Dad doesn't care about the image as much as the fun of doing the puzzle so a fairy tale themed one will just make him smile with me and give us something to share.

This puzzle of James Christensen's fairy tale painting is 1,500 pieces and is one of my top picks. I love the painting anyway and it is really perfect for a puzzle.


The next is an image pulled from Walter Wick's Can You See What I See? Once Upon A Time book. I own the book, but not the puzzle, and have spent more than a few hours with my nephew pouring over its pages. It works in the I Spy universe of books where you search for objects in the elaborate photo spreads. Once again, nice and intricate imagery and perfect for a puzzle. This one is 1,000 pieces. (I'll include the book image first.)



I have several Melissa and Doug floor puzzles on hand for when I have visitors under age 10. (Favorites include the solar system and the USA map.) These withstand a lot of abuse and are fun as long as you have enough floor space to build them. I don't have either of these fairy tale castles, yet.




The Fairy Tale Picture Cube Puzzle (12 pieces) by Fischer is for children and not inexpensive being made of wood and imported from Switzerland, but it's fun because it's six puzzles in one using sides of blocks to create six different fairy tale scenes: Snow White awakened by the Prince; Hansel and Gretel at the witch's house; the Frog King at the well; Red Riding Hood and the Wolf; Lucky Hans; and Sleeping Beauty. Click on the image or link to see a slightly bigger image of it.


I admit I found several more, but have decided to stop here. These were most of my favorites at least...perhaps I'll share more or move on to another type of 'toy' tomorrow.

Enchanted Forest by Ravensburger

Yes, the holidays are fast approaching and I'm receiving requests for gift ideas. I've also been doing a little shopping of my own, so this week I hope to share some of the toys and games I've been discovering or rediscovering all over again. Books will keep coming daily, too. That list is still very, very long.

First up is a game I have never played but am adding to my own wish list this year. I learned about it years ago but it wasn't readily available for some reason I can't remember, so I forgot about it. Then it popped up again while I was researching something else.

This game has been around since the early 1980s so some kids in several countries in the generation right below me grew up with this since it is available in several languages such as:

La Forêt Enchantée
Sagaland
Aventuras no Reino Encantado
Efteling Sprookjesspel
Nõiutud Mets
Sprookjesland
The Wizard of Oz (a modified version apparently)

In English, that's Enchanted Forest. I've not met many people who have played it, but those who have say it's fun. (The Amazon reader reviews are also glowing.) It won game of the year when it was released, the prestigious Spiel Des Jahres award that is.

Apparently one journeys around the board learning what magic objects are hidden under different trees. When the king wants to learn where something is, everyone rushes back to the castle to tell him. So it requires memory and strategy. And sounds like a fairy tale variation of Clue which was always one of my favorite games growing up.

Cinderella's glass slipper, the Emperor's crown and other once-upon-a-time treasures are hidden deep in the forest. Find them for the king and you'll inherit the kingdom!

To Play: One treasure is hidden under each tree in the forest. As you move from tree to tree, you get to peek at the treasures you find. Can you remember where each one is hidden? When the king asks where one of the treasures is, players race to reach the castle with the right information. Here's a tip: If you watch the other players carefully, sometimes you can even figure out where the treasure is without ever seeing it! The first player to locate three treasures wins.

Here's the introductory story included in the rules:

Once upon a time there lived a king, and he dwelt in a splendid castle high above the enchanted forest. His subjects could not have wished for a better king, so wise and benevo1ent was his rule. Many years passed and the king, feeling that he was growing old began to worry about who should rule after him for he had no children. However, word had often come to him of strange and wonderful treasures which were said to be hidden in the enchanted forest, and these had aroused his curiosity and now filled his heart with longing. He resolved that a search should be made for these remarkable treasures, so that they might be collected at his castle where everyone might see them and marvel at them. No sooner had he decided on his plan than he sent heralds throughout the land to announce that whoever should find and lead him to the hiding places of three of these marvelous treasures would succeed to his throne.

The game comes with:

1 Game Board
6 Pawns
2 Standard 6-Sided Dice
13 Pine Trees
13 Treasure Discs
13 Treasure Cards including:

Sleeping Beauty's Spindle
Mirror of Snow White's Wicked Stepmother
Cinderella's glass slipper
Puss in Boot's Seven League Boots
Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp Little
Red Riding Hood's Basket
Bone that Hansel used to fool the Wicked Witch Stolen
Jewels from the story of Ali Baba
Poisoned Apple from Snow White
Tom Thumb's Needle and Thimble
Wedding Rings of Beauty and the Beast
The Crowns of the Ogre's Daughters
Hop O My Thumbs' Bag of Stones

That's one treasure list. The one pictured below is slightly different. So I'm not sure if different countries get different tales emphasized or if different iterations of the game over time have offered different treasures. Either way, they all are fun. Reading them makes me want to play the game even more.


I gleaned some of the information for this post from BoardGameGeek and other places around the web, too, which was much more helpful than Wikipedia.

The game is available on Amazon currently for $23.86. More than the regular version of Clue, but hey, it has fairy tale stuff! With little trees! It is recommended for players 6 years and up, so I think I might figure it out...

Yummy by Lucy Cousins

So, Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins from Candlewick Press came out this past August. I didn't learn about it for a few weeks and then I saw it was from Lucy Cousins and thus didn't put it high on my "learn about it" list, horribly prejudging it off the cover alone--I never even read the description. I enjoy Cousins' moneymaker Maisy, but I don't associate her with fairy tales and frankly forgot about the book, by adding it to the "someday" list.

Then the reviews started popping up, such as this one from Elizabeth Bird:

I think the lesson of the day here is that I haven't been giving Lucy Cousins enough credit. While you may not be immediately familiar with her name, you've probably run into Cousins' most famous creation, Maisy, at some point in your travels. Maisy is a mouse. Maisy is cute. Maisy is beloved by the 0-4 set. You haven't lived until you've worked a reference desk where desperate two-year-olds come up to you like knee high zombies demanding, in their too high voices, you entire section of Maisy-related literature. Now because Maisy is so cute and non-threatening I was not initially impressed when I first heard about Yummy. Ms. Cousins wants to try her hand at fairy tales? Fine. It'll probably be something along the lines of that Mary Engelbreit's Nursery Tales collection. An early child introduction to fairy tales but without any of the original violent aspects. A watered down version, I'm sure. Well slap me upside the head and call me Charlie because I could not have been more wrong. Yummy is, if anything, the veritable antithesis to Engelbreit. With a good-natured, downright jovial tone of voice, Lucy Cousins takes old-fashioned stories and makes them as gruesome and funny as she is able.

The review is considerably longer and viewable as a reader review on Amazon as well as the Review of the Day on School Library Journal.


Then Publishers Weekly gave it a star with this review:

Anyone expecting the gentleness of the Maisy books in Cousins's retellings of eight fairy tales is in for a whopper of a surprise—although the cheeky title does provide a tip-off. Who knew Cousins could depict a wolf decapitation (“Little Red Riding Hood”) or stewing (“The Three Little Pigs”) with such relish? Or that she'd find a creepiness factor in the Henny Penny story worthy of Flannery O'Connor? Cousins embraces all the primitive, enduring fears and desires that drive these stories, and then beckons readers to hop on a rollicking narrative roller coaster (“I'm going to gobble you up,” says a troll, threatening the biggest of the Billy Goats Gruff, who responds, “Then I'll bash you to bits”). There are thrills big and small on every color-saturated page: a Goldilocks who sports ginormous pigtails that seem to have an emotional life all their own; the hairy orange goat-eating troll with his neon green mani-pedi; a little red hen with enough feminine industriousness to rival Rosie the Riveter. Make room on the shelf. A new classic has arrived. Ages 3–up.

And here's part of a more literary review from The Times by Amanda Craig:

Fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Three Little Pigs are hard-wired into us as human beings, so it’s no surprise to find out how old and universal they are: the husband-and-wife folklorists Iona and Peter Opie traced the story of Cinderella back a thousand years to China.

Youngsters can’t begin to learn these tales too early, for although they warn of fundamental terrors (being eaten or lost, for example), they also give us hope and courage. Ever since Gustave Doré’s radical illustrations for a series of children’s classics in the mid-1800s, it has been fashionable to emphasise the dark side. Happily there is no such shadow in Lucy Cousins’ collection, Yummy.

To sum up, the book contains eight tales all themed around eating or food, some more benign than others, including:

Little Red Riding Hood
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Enormous Turnip
Henny Penny
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Little Red Hen
The Three Little Pigs
The Musicians of Bremen

Now the book is on my wish list. No, it's not for all kids or their parents, but many will enjoy it for that very reason. I personally like Cousins' deceptively simple illustrations for the tales (and for the Maisy books, too). They remind me of Byron Barton's Little Red Hen and The Three Bears which have always been some of the earliest versions of tales I've introduced to wee ones. (I've also loved his vehicles and dinosaurs books with my nephews, but that is really off topic.)

So if you prefer your fairy tales with a slightly more squeamish element but with lots of humor, this may be the book for you. After all, even Candlewick admits as much with its brief product description, one of the most tantalizing I've read in a while.

Beware — these fairy tales are not for the faint of heart! Maisy creator Lucy Cousins shifts gears to retell her favorites with vivid, rousing illustrations.

Eight classic stories take on new energy as Lucy Cousins ramps up her artwork. In this bold, funny, and unflinching collection, the beloved author-illustrator retains all the emotion and humor of the original fairy tales: the heroes are courageous, the villains are horrible, and the children are tasty. With her sly, simple language and vibrant illustrations, even the scariest fiends become the stuff of shared hilarity and shivery thrills.

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Trust is so fragile that is hard to put back to its original state when broken. My simple tips how to build trust is dedicated to kids and their parents as well. Read more after the break...

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Paris Hilton's Spending time for Shopping

Getting in some retail therapy, Paris Hilton was spotted out and about in West Hollywood Tuesday afternoon (November 10). The “Simple Life” h0ttie hit up the H&M department store, looking $exy in a lavender floral print dress along with black leggings and black heels with purple bows. Continuing along with her romp, Paris proceeded to check out the selections at Fred Segal boutique before wrapping things up for the day. In related news, Miss Hilton has reportedly turned her home into a veritable Fort Knox since being burglarized earlier this year.

She told press, “I’ve made my house impossible to get into. I have 24-hour armed guards. I have video cameras everywhere. Maybe I’ll get a Rottweiler.”
07 more images after the break...

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Conceived Charger Solar Battery

Buy rechargeable batteries are always better than just buying batteries. First, it is profitable, second - less waste. Nevertheless, it is still not the best way to save resources - in fact still need to insert the plug into the outlet and use electricity. May soon follow Charger for finger batteries, which will use the sun's energy. How is it possible? Because the time being is a concept which, despite a successful idea which underlies it, may not be realized. Not all are willing to pay for more expensive solar panels, preferring to charge the batteries in the traditional way. Charger reNEW Solar Battery Charger has two slots: the upper is placed battery that needs recharging, which is charged, automatically drops out of the lower slot. Solar panels located on the rear of the device. Charging can be placed either on the table, as shown in the image, or using suction cups attach to the window. 04 more images after the break...

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Sushmita Sen Maxim Scans November 2009

Bollywood hot actress Sushmita Sen on the cover of Maxim Magazine’s Indian Edition for the month of November 2009. Sushmita Sen who won Miss Universe almost 15 yrs with her presence on Maxim cover page. Sushmita also escaped from wearing bikini in Maxim Magazine. Last month also there was no bikini pose from Amrita Rao and now Sushmita. Guys i don’t think anyone expected this from Maxim, Maxim is known to strips best in the industry just what they done in international issue. Hope we will get someone better with pappy pictures next time. Till then enjoy Sushmita Sen’s Photoshoot for Maxim Magazine. 06 more images after the break...

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Amber Rose Rocks Out

Here are a few shots of Kanye West’s girlfriend Amber Rose strutting her stuff in a tight and short form fitting dress in South Beach. Minus the hair, this chick is pretty damn h0t.
11 more images after the break...

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World's 12 Longest

World's longest living marriage (85 years)

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, of North Carolina, have been married for 85 years as of May 13, 2009. Zelmyra is 101 years old and Herbert turned 104 on June 10th, 2009. They have shared the same home in the Brownsville community of New Bern for 50 years. (Link) more images after the break...

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