East of the Sun and West of the Moon by Amanda Clark

It's Friday! Need a Friday morning pretty? How about this artwork for East of the Sun and West of the Moon by Amanda Clark? She has a blog, where I found this, at Earth Angel's Art as well as an Etsy shop.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon by Mercer Mayer

Since I so loved yesterday's book by Mercer Mayer, I decided to share another of his on this blustery Saturday: East of the Sun and West of the Moon. These pictures are also borrowed from NouvelleGamine's blog.

Here are the pictures:

(This one reminds me of Merlin, the tv series, especially the first season with the dragon, which has been one of John's favorite BBC offerings this past year. He received season 2 for his birthday.)

East of the Sun and West of the Moon by Rosie Lauren Smith

This is an illustration for East of the Sun and West of the Moon by Rosie Lauren Smith. The Arthur Rackham and Tasha Tudor influences are perhaps the most apparent. It also reminds me a little of Trina Schart Hyman. What I love the most about it is the autumn setting which appears to be the artist's favorite season. So many of the illustrations of the heroine riding the polar bear offer a winter setting. You can see more of Smith's art on DeviantArt (there's a lot of faeries and such) and she also has a blog.

Cecilia Hammarborg

Finding news about fairy tales this month is rather difficult with a bazillion articles about various pantos (always fun, but rather exhausting to sort through) as well as Nutcracker and the usual sports and government themes. Then there is the media blitz about Princess and the Frog opening this Friday. (Never fear, I will devote the week next week to The Frog Prince, but not necessarily Princess and the Frog itself the entire week.)

Anyway, I did find a throwaway article about some trends for fairy tales for adults at Away with the fairies: Awake your inner child by Stephanie Hirschmiller today. Nothing of much news there, but I discovered these two paragraphs about Cecilia Hammarborg.

The new “Black River Falls” collection from the brilliant Swanfield Co-Operative member and designer to watch (find her at Topshop EDIT or Kingly Court), is inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s fairytales and the lesser known 1800’s book entitled “Wisconsin Deathtrip” from which she derived the title for her collection.

We find ourselves fiendishly torn between her divine Blue Riding Hood coat – all the better to be seen in and her Storm Petrel coat inspired by the tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon". It’s all about a young girl who in her search for truth is carried about the stormy corners of the world by a massive white Bear. And with its Cossack style high collar, fishtail hem and puff sleeves, truth is certainly a beautiful thing.

What fun! I had to see these and online was my only chance seeing as how Top Shop is a UK entity and nowhere near Nashville and my offline life. So the above images are from Hammarborg's website featuring her Riding Hood coats and dress and below are the Storm Petrel coats inspired by East of the Sun. These were released earlier this fall and are thus a little late in the news department, but since most of us probably didn't know about this, these are fun. And there may still be time to find thse for yourself for the holidays if you are in the UK. (And I wish the blue coat was more available because I really like since I usually choose brighter colors, but I think all of them are quite fetching and would wear any of them.)




I'm not affiliated with any of these designers or shops. This is just news.

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

I referenced Sarah Beth Durst's new book, Ice, a few months ago when highly recommending her fun commentaries on fairy tales available on her website at Obscure Fairy Tales.

Well, tomorrow is the official release date for Ice so now is the time to give it its own post. First of all, Ice is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, a favorite fairy tale of many and very popular with authors since its length and content provides so much imagination fodder.

Unfortunately, I haven't read the book yet, although I am a big enough fan to have preordered it and it arrived late on Friday. My weekend did not accommodate getting a single book read despite my hopes otherwise. I have started it and can easily say this will be one of my favorite novelizations of the popular tale. (And, yes, there have been a few retellings of this tale in recent years.) The modern setting, the incorporation of science, the light touch of humor and a few other surprises along the way made the book highly readable.

Here's the official description from the publisher:

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.
Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back -- if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her -- until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice.

Sarah has an excerpt for reading on her website.

The reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, as well as other authors and online reviewers, are positive. So what are you waiting for? Go find a copy to read.



Of course, if you haven't read them, I highly recommend Durst's clever and fun books, Into the Wild and Out of the Wild. Those use fairy tale tropes and storylines and star Rapunzel's daughter. (Out of the Wild is also temporarily bargain priced in hardcover for those wanting to try it.)

Sarah Beth Durst's Obscure Fairy Tales

Sarah Beth Durst is one of the newest authors publishing novelized fairy tales, starting a few years ago with her two gems, Into the Wild and Out of the Wild, starring Rapunzel's daughter and offering some fairy tale adventures. Quite fun!


This fall she has a new novel, Ice, a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I'll talk more about Ice closer to publication when I see a copy of it.

Occasionally, in case you've missed it, Durst retells a fairy tale on her blog and highlights it with a running, often snarky, commentary. Fun is had by all since she has a great love for the tales. Thankfully, she archives all the retellings on her website at Obscure Fairy Tales.