Climbing Rosa [Hardcover]

Shelley Fowles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2006 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Outside the king’s palace grows an enormous tree, its top hidden in the clouds. It’s so tall that no one has ever climbed to the top or collected any of its seeds. Rosa's stepmother and stepsister Irma always call her a monkey because she can climb anything from drainpipes to trees. So when the king proclaims that whoever brings down seeds from the tree will marry his son, strong and sprightly Rosa decides to make her stepfamily regret their words. Shelley Fowles’s enchanting illustrations highlight this gloriously funny adaptation of a traditional Hungarian folktale.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3 This amusing, sometimes-choppy text is an amalgam of folkloric elements from Hungary. The story centers on an enormously tall tree, a woman who likes to climb, and a prince who sits around all day reading. His father says, You're costing me a fortune in candles, and decides to hold a competition. The woman clever enough to climb our tree and bring back some seeds can have your hand in marriage. You shall be First Prize! Rosa is the spunky young woman who passes the test. Unfortunately, her unpleasant stepsister tags along, grabs the seedpod away from her, and then knocks her out of the tree. As Rosa falls, she moans, Now I'll never win the contest! but then CRASH!, she lands on the reclining prince and seeds fall out of her hair. Ink-and-acrylic illustrations playfully illuminate the humorous text. Stylized animals and folk-art representations of clothing and buildings grace each page as well as the endpapers. Libraries that already circulate copies of Fowles's The Bachelor and the Bean (Farrar, 2003) will likely want this new offering. Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Richly colored pictures with a folk art feel tell the story of a poor young woman who earns a prince's hand in marriage by climbing an enormous tree. The king has promised his book-loving son to the woman who fetches seeds from a treetop. With skill and luck, Rosa succeeds, despite the efforts of her mean stepsister, with whom she exchanges catty remarks about being ugly. Accomplished in acrylics and pen-and-ink, the attractive illustrations are further enlivened with tiny details and flower patterns. Touches of humor, a sprightly font, and strong visual pacing add to the charm. The story bears little resemblance to the Hungarian tale listed as its source, but it still has both an appealing fairy-tale quality and a satisfying end. Kathleen Odean
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books (January 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845070798
• ISBN-13: 978-1845070793
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,534,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - as usual, March 26, 2006

By 

J. Caspell "Green Giant UK" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Climbing Rosa (Hardcover)

This latest book from Shelley Fowles continues in the ethno-cartoon genre aimed at children and brings a fun, dynamic and cultural perspective to both art and historical folk tales. Highly recommended!