not your everyday princess books...

"Whatever comes," she said, "cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it."     -Sarah Crew (A LITTLE PRINCESS)

I hope you won't limit your kids' experiences with Princesses strictly to the popular Disney versions.  Girls ages 4-8 will also love these beautifully illustrated picture books about these rather unconventional princesses who are courageous, innocent, loyal, and resourceful ...

THE APPLE PIP PRINCESS by Jane Ray. This is the story of a kingdom that was once full of laughter, happiness, trees, and birdsong. But when the queen dies, it becomes quiet and barren, and everyone is filled with sadness. What will make the kingdom come to life again? Can Serenity, the youngest of three princesses, bring hope and bloom back to her kingdom with a single apple pip — a precious seed left to her by her mother? This original fairy tale is brought to life and exquisitely illustrated by the internationally renowned Jane Ray.

THE PAPER PRINCESS by Elisa Kleven. A little girl draws and cuts out a picture of a princess. When the paper doll is blown away by a gust of wind, she travels far and wide and finally... ends up with her own little girl again. Kleven has taken this simple story and given it style and heart. The events, some of which are either purely fanciful or highly unlikely, all seem authentic. Giving an inanimate object a believable personality is not an easy feat, and the author does a fine job of it. Her graceful phrases add a lyrical air, and emotions are described with a light and delicate touch. Her multimedium collages have never looked fresher or more interesting. The world she creates is not necessarily free from danger or sadness, yet it is predominantly full of beauty and sunlight. All the elements of the visual arts-texture, pattern, shape, color, and line-come alive in her skillful hands. The best book yet from this talented author/illustrator, and one that children will love. - School Library Journal
(Also by the author: THE PAPER PRINCESS FINDS HER WAY, THE PAPER PRINCESS FLIES AGAIN: WITH HER DOG!)

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA by Lauren Child.  School Library Journal: Child has expanded Andersen's tale from a one-page gem into a humorous picture book that will delight the whole family. Color photographs of a cleverly designed, three-dimensional miniature world of dolls reveal wonderful details. The mattresses–all 12 of them–are covered in multi-patterned cloth, tables and cupboards display real china plates, and a mirror reflects a princess sitting in her parlor. The prince says that he wanted to marry for love. In an aside, Child comments, He was just that kind of romantic boy. The prince now tells his parents: I would gladly marry tomorrow but…she must be more mesmerizing than the moon and I must find her more fascinating than all the stars in the sky. And there must be a certain…something about her. The loving king and queen throw a royal ball so that their son can meet all the eligible princesses; unfortunately, not one fills the bill. He then decides to travel far and wide to look for a real princess. It is not until he comes home that she appears at his door. We all know what happens then.

THE MAGIC HILL by A.A. Milne, illustrations by Isabell Bodor Brown.  I was so excited to discover a fairy tale written by A.A. Milne! School Library Journal says of this original tale, written in 1925: Neither complex nor overtly moral, it delivers its own sweet vision of childhood where play is as pleasant as a freshly picked flower. At her christening, Princess Daffodil's parents anxiously await a gift to be bestowed upon her by the Fairy Mumruffin. Will it be Beauty, Wisdom, or Goodness? No, it is that flowers will grow wherever their daughter goes. Upon the child's first birthday, the King returns from hunting to find flowers blooming on his pathways. He decrees that the Princess must be carried across all walkways and can play only in the flowerbeds. The forlorn child finds that the opposite is true for the other children, who are not allowed in the beds. Thus, when the Doctor finds her sorely in need of exercise, he advises, "although she is a Princess, she must do what other little girls do." The Queen finds a solution: a lovely little hill where the child can romp all day and the country children pick flowers come evening.

BLUEBIRDS AND BALLET SHOES

Today I had the immense pleasure of watching a male and female Western Bluebird eating berries from a vine on a wall outside my kitchen window. Bluebirds are often linked with happiness:

"If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?"  -Judy Garland, Somewhere Over the Rainbow (from THE WIZARD OF OZ)

"The Bluebird carries the sky on his back."  -Henry David Thoreau (American author and poet)

"The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression."  -Gary Larson (FAR SIDE comic creator)
and last, but not least...
"Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder..." -Zippity Do Dah (from Disney's SONG OF THE SOUTH)...

Mytyl and Tyltyl,
from the 1908 MAT production

There's also a play titled The Blue Bird, by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck. It premiered in 1908 at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia.  The story is about a girl called Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl.  They are seeking happiness, represented by "The Blue Bird of Happiness", and they are aided by the good fairy, Bérylune.

The play has been adapted into several film versions (one starring Shirley Temple, which not successful at the box-office) and is referenced in several books, one of them being a favorite chapter book of my daughter's, BALLET SHOES by Noel Streatfeild.

Set in London, in the 1930's, BALLET SHOES is the story of three orphaned babies, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy Fossil, who are all adopted by "GUM" - Great Uncle Matthew. (Uncle Gum is an archaeologist, who brought home lots of fossils to his home in England, until he was injured and decided to travel the world!) 

These particular "fossils" of Uncle Gum are not siblings, but are adopted one by one and raised by Gum's great-niece, Sylvia, and Nana, her old nurse while he is away. Sylvia takes in several boarders (including a dance instructor) who take charge of  the girls' education and help them get into The Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training.

At the academy, Pauline is given the chance to play "Tyltyl" and Petrova is assigned the part of "Mytyl"...
  They got home and Pauline told them all the story of THE BLUE BIRD, as she was the only one who knew it.
  "It's about two children," she explained, "called Tyltyl and Mytyl.  Tyltyl is a boy and Mytyl a girl."
  "That's a pity," Nana interrupted.  "With your hair you'd make a better girl, and Petrova the boy."
  Pauline shook her head. "The boy's the eldest, and has most to say.  It tells all the places they go to look for a blue bird, which really means happiness."
  "Did they find a blue bird?" Posy asked.
  "Yes.  It was at their home all the time.  Tyltyl's dove.  It was blue, but they'd never noticed.
  "Where do we look for it?" Petrova wanted to know.
  "In the Land of Memory; that's where the children's grandfather and grandmother and their brothers and sisters who have died, live.  And with Night.  And amongst the children who aren't born. And with the dead people.  In the end Tyltyl's dove flies away, and Tyltyl says to the people who are watching the play: 'If any of you should find him, would you be so very kind as to give him back to us?...We need him for our happiness, later on...' "  


There is a whole series of "Shoe Books" by Streatfeild (but this is the only one we read, since my daughter was in ballet at the time).  Click here to see more chapter books my daughter loved.

ART IN SILHOUETTE

by Henry Lawrence Oakley

Silhouettes harken back to the art of Ancient Egypt and Greece, as images painted on tomb walls or pottery.  What today are considered to be traditional profile silhouettes, painted or cut from black paper, were first used in 18th Century portraiture, before the invention of the camera - which led to the end of the silhouette's widespread use for portraits.  But if you've ever been to Main Street, Disneyland, you may have noticed a shop where artists quickly hand-cut portraits in profile. I'm not getting paid to promote Disney, but their interesting and informative (1-minute long) video about this studio and silhouette portraits is worth watching. 

from RHYMES ABOUT THE COUNTRY
by Margaret Chute

Like the quick "click" of a camera shot, or children playing freeze tag, a silhouette captures the image of a moment in time we might otherwise have missed or forgotten. This art makes us stop and admire the lines and curves of the seemingly back-lit, darkened subjects of the scene. Because silhouettes communicate the whimsy and fleeting nature of childhood, I think they are wonderfully employed as illustrations for children's literature -- be it poetry, fantasy, or just a simple story. 


Hans Christian Anderson would often accompany his public story-telling with impromptu designs and small scenes, as he cut them out by hand from paper. Though not specifically silhouette portraits, they were called "paper cuts".

THE AMAZING PAPER CUTTINGS OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON  
by Beth Wagner Brust

Many countries, including China and Turkey, have a history of paper-cutting art.  The French used the term silhouette, after a man by the name of Eteinne de Silhouette, whose very affordable hobby was making cut-out portraits in the profile style; but in Germany, this art was called schernschnitte, which means "scissor cut". 


Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, some illustrators began using this paper cutting technique for books. Silhouette pictures could easily be printed by blocks that were cheaper to produce and lasted longer than detailed black and white hand drawn illustrations.  Arthur Rackham was one of the earliest illustrators who used silhouette scenes in several of his books.

Modern day children's book illustrators who use paper cuts include DAVID WISNIEWSKI, JAN PIENKOWSKI, CLAY RICE, and NIKKI McCLURE.  (Click on each name to read about their art and books).

Nikki McClure, from The Great Chicken Escape

Clay Rice, The Lonely Shadow

David Wisniewski, The Warrior and the Wise Man

Jan Pienkowski,  from The Thousand Nights and One Night

Source links for more information:
Portrait Silhouettes
History of Paper Cutters
Charles Burns Silhouette Parlour

HAPPY FALL! IT'S apple PICKING TIME!

Jonny, very patiently teaching his Mom the finer points of Everything iMac!

The fact that we recently purchased a Mac Computer (which I love and am quickly trying to learn how to use!), added to the fact that I will be flying out tomorrow with my husband to visit my parents in Indiana, means that my blogging will slow down for the next week or so.  I thought I'd leave you with some (real) apple book suggestions for ages 3 - 7 ...

JOHNNY APPLESEED, by Reeve Lindbergh.  (You can refer to my past post about this book.)
 

JOHNNY APPLESEED (Disney version Golden Book)
 
My daughter, Mary, told me of a Disney version she discovered about this Early American Hero, with color styling for the animation by Mary Blair (one of our favorites!)  I found the short (from 1948) on YouTube (I think it may be one of the few Disney cartoons that feature a Bible and Guardian Angel!)  Look for the chipmunk who shares more than a slight resemblance to Chip (of Chip 'n Dale fame).  Another tidbit of trivia: Walter Kent and Kim Gannon, who wrote the songs for the animated cartoon, also wrote "I'll Be Home for Christmas", made popular by Bing Crosby.
Click here for Part 1 of THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY APPLESEED, and here for Part 2.

TEN RED APPLES by Pat Hutchins.  For ages three and up it doesn't get much better than counting, animal sounds, rhyming, and fun bold illustrations!


THE APPLE PIE TREE by Zoe Hall.  Cute and colorful collage illustrations.  Two sisters watch and describe the changes that occur for an apple tree in their backyard during the seasons of the year.  The role of bees and weather and their pertinence to apple production is even incorporated into the story.  You may be tempted to bake an apple pie when you finish this book!



APPLES by Gail Gibbons.  Gibbons gives an overview of apples (their history in America, their parts, growth, harvest, and uses) in her characteristic, easily understood, and straightforward style.
 

FROM ONE MARY TO ANOTHER...A LOOK AT THE ARTWORK OF MARY BLAIR (A guest-post by Mary Honore)

A post by my daughter, Mary, who spent nine wonderful months "working" for Disneyland Paris...


“This is a story about darkness and light, about sorrow and joy, about something lost and something found. This is a story about Love.” (from CINDERELLA, illustrated by Mary Blair, told by Cynthia Rylant)

Who could resist reading a story that begins with these magical words?? Luckily for us, these words are the beginning of not only a well-loved story, but also the perfect description of the life of the children’s book illustrator featured in today’s blog: Mary Blair.

Mary Blair was an artistic pioneer and talent her entire life, but it is her work for the Walt Disney Studios that is most well known throughout the world today. If your children have ever experienced the magic of the “It's a Small World” attraction at Disneyland, or watched such classic Disney films as Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland, they will absolutely love Mary Blair’s illustrated works! Mary was both fearless and untraditional when it came to color styling and concept art, so much so that even though none of Mary’s actual drawings are directly shown in Disney animation, her work gave her renown throughout the studio, and Walt Disney favored her vivid artwork and unique vision above many other artists. Her bold designs and bright images hold a special appeal for children, making her illustrations both compelling and familiar.


FOR AGES 4+:  In recent years, Mary Blair’s artwork for the three Disney animated films listed above has been collected and published as children’s stories, with creative re-tellings by various contemporary children’s book authors. Children are captivated by the beautiful, colorful, and un-fussy drawings—a feast for the eyes! Combined with loving and thoughtful telling, these books are sure favorites for any child’s library!


CINDERELLA  (told by Cynthia Rylant) A romantic and idealist from the very youngest age, books about the rewards of waiting for true love always stuck with me as a child and even into my adult life. I think that this particular telling of the classic fairytale is an excellent way of teaching children the virtues of prudence and charity. As an example of its beauty, allow me to share with you my favorite quote from the book: “Who can say by what mystery two people find each other in this great wide world?” (*note: see my previous post about Cinderella for more wonderful tellings of this beautiful story!)

Cinderella watching, as her pumpkin becomes a coach!

Cinderella's coach arrives at the ball!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (told by Jon Scieszka) If you feel that Lewis Caroll’s original novel is a bit too mature for your younger children, this rendition of his story is the perfect way to introduce them to Alice’s whimsical Wonderland. I especially love the quirky tea party images and the very bright colors throughout the entire storybook!

Alice at the Mad Hatter and March Hare’s Un-Birthday Tea Party

PETER PAN (told by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson) The classic J.M. Barrie novel, Peter Pan, has held a dear place in my heart since 8th grade, and I have read it again and again! However, children may not pick up on Barrie’s satire and subtleties in his original work, so a picture-book telling is a much more appropriate beginning to this classic tale of responsibility and growing up. The very geometric illustrations capture all the beauty of the Neverland, and the rather child-like character of the drawings is quaint and lovable.

Peter with the Mermaids (front cover)

 FOR AGES 1-4:  Blair also worked as an illustrator for the Little Golden Books for a short while, illustrating I CAN FLY, BABY'S HOUSE, THE GOLDEN BOOK OF LITTLE VERSES, and THE NEW GOLDEN SONGBOOK. “Charming” is truly the best possible description of these adorable illustrations, and they will especially be appreciated by toddlers and very young children, but also by the adults who have the pleasure of sharing them!

The author and her mom at Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris

...and in the rain at the Luxemborg Gardens, Paris!

The author at work at Disneyland Paris...