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.

HAPPY ST. LUCIA DAY!

Icon from the hand of Luke Dingman

December 13th commemorates St. Lucia Day for Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Christians. (In England, she is called "St. Lucy".)

My daughter was only three years old when she participated in the first St. Lucia Procession we ever attempted at our church.  Now, 20 years later, she watches and sings with the adults as the young girls process down the aisle, following the oldest girl, who represents Lucia and is wearing a "crown" of candles.  I'm sure each girl, dressed in a white gown with red sash - symbolizing the saint's commitment to purity and her martyrdom - anticipates the year she will finally wear the traditional "Lucia Crown" (with battery-operated candles, as opposed to open flames!)

HER HISTORY
Lucia was a Christian, living in Sicily during the fourth century. Her parents had arranged for her to wed, against her will.  Lucia vowed to remain a virgin, instead of marrying a pagan, and gave her dowry to the poor.  Her fiancee denounced her and reported her to the authorities. Since Christianity was against the law at that time in the Roman Empire, Lucia was put to death.

HER CELEBRATION
During the Middle Ages, Swedes "adopted" this Italian saint. The name Lucia itself means "light", which the people of Sweden don't see a lot of during the winter. December 13th was the longest night of the year (Winter Solstice under the old Julian Calendar) so, in the darkness of Sweden, this holy-day also celebrated the fact that the days would begin to grow longer.

The traditional "St. Lucia Procession" originated in Sweden, and is practiced in homes, churches, and communities there.  In Norway, children bring the procession to nursing homes and hospitals, serving lussekatt buns to the elderly. Scandinavian immigrants have brought the celebration to the U.S. - look for Swedish Christmas Fairs and Lutheran churches in your community that might host processions during December (that's how I saw my first St. Lucia Procession!)

Take a minute or so to watch this beautiful traditional Swedish Lucia Procession...



PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT ST. LUCIA:


Lucia Saint of Light, by Katherine Bolger Hyde, illustrations by Daria Fisher (ages 6 and up).  Do you have a daughter who is interested in knowing why girls wear white dresses, balance a crown of candles on their heads, and carry a platter of saffron buns on St. Lucia Day?  Katherine Bolger Hyde does a wonderful job of explaining these customs, in this beautiful book with two parallel stories - about a modern-day girl named Lucy, and a 4th-Century Saint named Lucia.  The tales are interwoven as Lucy prepares to celebrate her "nameday" and her mother explains to her the origins of the story of St. Lucia and the background behind the traditions of her celebration and her association with Sweden.  At the end of the book, you'll find the "Santa Lucia" song (with words and music), her icon, verses from her Feastday Aposticha, and a recipe. (She also offers some great links/resources.)


Lucia Morning in Sweden by Ewa Jydaker, illustrated by Carina Stalhberg. (ages 5-10)  A story about three children as they prepare for their St. Lucia Day celebration.  It includes the Lucia song, recipes for ginger snaps and saffron buns, a summary of the Lucia legend, and two patterns for the Lucia gowns.  (You'll have to search for this cute book, which is currently out of print.)


                    Lucia, Child of Light:  The History and Traditions of Sweden's Lucia Celebration, by Florence Ekstrand. (Also currently out of print, but probably available at your local library.)  This book introduced us to Saint Lucia when my daughter was young.  It traces the history of St. Lucia and includes a recipe and the Lucia song in both English and Swedish.  (ages 6 and up)

Kirsten's Surprise:  A Christmas Story, by Janet Beeler Shaw. (ages 9-12) From the AMERICAN GIRL series:  a short story about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, who has moved with her family to the Minnesota frontier in 1854. With Christmas approaching, Kirsten is excited about introducing her cousins to the Saint Lucia celebration. The day before Saint Lucia Day, Kirsten's father decides to go get the family's trunks out of storage (where Kirsten's dress is being stored) and Kirsten is just dying to go with him. However, as a Minnesota winter storm descends, she finds that her help is more needed then she could have imagined.

MOST LOVED DOLL STORIES

My youngest son, Jon, came home after class a couple of days ago and told me that his junior college was having a used book sale.  Before I knew it, he was pulling something out of his backpack and pushing it into my hands.  He looked at me hopefully and said, "Is this a good one, Mom?  I searched and searched  to find a good one for you." I looked down.  It was  THE BEST LOVED DOLL by Rebecca Caudill, with pictures by Elliott Gilbert.  He picked a winner!  Thanks, Jon!

A young girl named Betsy receives a party invitation which reads:

Bring one doll

to the party

this afternoon at four.

Prizes will be given for

the oldest doll,

the best-dressed doll, 

and the doll 

who can do the most things.

Betsy must decide which doll to bring. She has four:  a beautiful bride doll, an antique doll, a wind-up doll who can work a sewing machine, and her favorite - a worn out, rather tattered doll named Jennifer, who sits on Betsy's bed.  Betsy must decide if she'd rather bring a doll that will earn her a prize, or Jennifer.  You'll love what happens and you might even shed a few tears.

Did you have a best-loved doll?  My daughter loved all her dolls - she had baby dolls, paper dolls, "Polly Pockets", china dolls, a "Raggedy Ann", miniatures for her dollhouse, several Barbies, and "Samantha" and "Kirsten" American Girl dolls.  (I hope I'm not leaving someone out!)

This all got me thinking about the many stories involving dolls that my daughter and I read together...Laura Ingalls had a rag doll that she named Charlotte (though her first doll was a corn cob doll) and Sara Crewe had a doll named Emily.  In Beatrix Potter's THE TALE OF TWO BAD MICE, Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca vandalise the dollhouse of Lucinda and Jane.  Remember this vintage Sesame Street short, "Two Little Girls and a Little Dollhouse"? (it's worth a quick watch!) We had a similar experience when our pet rabbit got in my daughter's dollhouse!  

Here are some classic doll books that your daughter is sure to like...did I leave out your favorite?

A IS FOR ANABELLE: A DOLL'S ALPHABET by Tasha Tudor. (4-8)

THE DOLLS' CHRISTMAS by Tasha Tudor (4-8)

THE STORY OF HOLLY AND IVY by Rumer Godden, pictures by Barbara Cooney (5 & up)

MISS HAPPINESS AND MISS FLOWER by Rumer Godden, pictures by Gary Blythe (9-12)

FOUR DOLLS: "IMPUNITY JANE", "FAIRY DOLL", "STORY OF HOLLY AND IVY", AND "CANDY CANE" by Rumer Godden

THE LONELY DOLL Story and Photographs by Dare Wright (4-8)

AUTHOR HIGHLIGHT: RENEE RIVA

If  you look back to one of my past blog posts, "Tips for Selecting Good Books", you'll see that all Renee Riva's stories fit the criteria (according to William Kilpatrick) of what constitutes a "good" book.   Whether you choose to read aloud her cute children's picture books (illustrated by talented Steve Bjorkman):  Guido's Gondola and Izzy the Lizzy; her fun chapter book:  Farley's Five and Dime; or her hilarious Saving Sailor Trilogy, you will find an author who sticks to writing imaginative family classics that not only entertain, but teach and inspire...without sounding preachy or overly sentimental.

Today I'd like to focus on her trilogy of novels for teens and young adults (or "for ages 12-100", as Renee says on her website).  The first book in the trilogy, Saving Sailor , is followed by Taking Tuscany  and Heading Home.  I just finished reading the first novel and literally laughed out loud at the antics of A.J., a ten-year old girl, who likes to talk with a fake Southern accent, and her dog, Sailor.  The story is told from A.J.'s innocent and spunky perspective.  She's part of a big Italian-Catholic family who spend their summers on an island in Idaho during the 1960's.  I was taken back to my own preteen years, when, like A. J., I still tried to sneak the marshmallow bits out of the "boring part" of the box of breakfast cereal, my dolls were trolls, and I wasn't ready to admit that boys were starting to be a little bit interesting (though I, too, was secretly smitten with with Joe Cartwright from BONANZA!).

One thing that is really refreshing about this series, is that A. J.'s story isn't about family dysfunction and shallow friendships, that you often find in many contemporary "coming of age" books for teen girls, but about wholesome (and sometimes feisty) family love and hope:  think All-of-a-Kind Family, Mama's Bank Account , or Betsy-Tacy , mixed with the humor of  Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever .

On the other hand, this is by no means an old-fashioned, Little House on the Prairie  series.  The characters are colorful and eccentric - from A.J.'s down-to-earth, mischievous parents (her mom, Sophia, pretends to be Sofia Loren out in public, just to cause a stir), to her wonderful and understanding teacher, Sister Abigail (who oversees some hilarious catechism sessions) - you'll be drawn into the plot immediately.

A.J.'s constant honesty in confronting her beliefs and her shortcomings is completely endearing.  The series follows her from Indian Island, in Idaho, to Tuscany, Italy (where she moves with her family for 8 years) and then back to the island, where she is finally reunited with her childhood friend, Danny.  You'll want to read all the books to find where A. J.'s heart, and God, lead her.

Renee Riva says the Saving Sailor Trilogy is "based on a true story, sort of".  I knew I'd like it as soon as I read her Introduction:

  When I was growing up, I thought I came from the weirdest family on earth.  Now, as I look back on my childhood, I know I did...for one thing there were seven of us...I had only one set of parents, and they actually loved each other.  A lot.  Scary, isn't it?  And here's the real clincher -- I had a great childhood.  The kind where your mom stayed home and baked cookies for you...what can I say?  Pretty much, just, Thank God. 

  Did I mention we weren't perfect?  Well, we weren't.  But perfect isn't what makes a great childhood.  What makes a childhood great is being able to look back and remember the good over the bad, the laughter over the tears, and the love that covered a multitude of sins.

  It's looking back to that one summer that stands out above the rest.  You know...the one where you knew what really mattered in life:  God, your dog, your hamster, and your family.  Most definitely in that order.

To read more about Renee Riva and her books, and to see fun pictures of her real-life childhood and family, go to her website:  http://www.reneeriva.com/.