Courageous Princess Masterpiece Edition [Hardcover]

Rod Espinosa (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Collected for the first time, get all 3 volumes of the acclaimed fairy-tale adventures of Princess Mabelrose and her companion Spiky the talking porcupine in this special, deluxe megatrade!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This unexpected tale of a young princess who rescues herself from an evil dragon is seemingly for young readers yet should bewitch all fantasy fans. Espinosa's saga follows Princess Mabelrose from her early days as a quite unspoiled princess to her epic journey to return to her modest kingdom after being carried off by a dragon. The beast loves gold and princesses, of course, and lives in a ruined castle surrounded by a thorny wood that has been the ruin of countless would-be rescuers. Not content to wait for deliverance and unaware that her father has set out to claim her, Mabelrose uses her smarts to sneak away from the stronghold, taking along the most useful items in the dragon's treasury: a camouflage cloak and boots that make her walking easy. As Mabelrose traverses the land of 100 kingdoms, she encounters the generous Munken folk, who shelter her from the dragon, and the puzzlingly hostile Leptians, animals who are ruled by a cruel tiger. Her charm consistently wins her friends along the way, from Spiky the porcupine to a boar who, despite a princess's kiss, fails to turn into a prince. Espinosa's influences seem to be equal parts Grimm fairy tales, animated Disney films, the Wizard of Oz and Japanese manga, and the work is meticulously rendered in a seductive palette of brights and shadows. While our heroine may not be the fairest in the land, she's adorable enough to be a convincingly attractive leading lady. Mabelrose's journey remains unfinished at the book's close, leaving way for a sequel.
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From the Publisher

Synopsis Once upon a time, in a tiny kingdom called New Tinsley, a young princess named Mabelrose lived in a small castle with her loving parents. Like so many other fairy tale princesses before her, Mabelrose was a kindhearted young girl who was well-loved by everyone.

But unlike all other princesses, she did not posses the charming beauty and grace the rest had in abundance. She did not have hair as black as ebony or skin as white as snow. Instead, her hair was a dull muddy brown in color and her face was full of freckles.

Even so, Mabelrose was a very special girl. Despite her unglamorous appearance and her awkwardness, she was quick on her feet and she was very smart. Of all the other princesses that have come and gone, it is she who will prove to be perhaps the best of them all.

Captured by an evil dragon, she does what no other princess ever attempted in fairy tale history: she escapes all by herself! Her brave flight from the dragon's black fortress would be but the beginning of a long and exciting adventure.

It is an epic journey that will test her strength, her courage and her love to its limits; a quest which will take her to many strange lands. Along the way, she would meet many enemies, make many more friends, and finally find true love. It is a story of a brave and resourceful young princess and her journey to find her home. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Antarctic Press; Masterpiece ed edition (October 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972897860
• ISBN-13: 978-0972897860
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,310,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best graphic novels, July 3, 2004

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Courageous Princess Masterpiece Edition (Hardcover)

This wonderful graphic novel was written AND illustrated by that excellent Philippine manga artist, Rod Espinosa. This is the story of Princess Mabelrose, an intelligent, though not ravishingly beautiful, princess. Captured by an evil dragon, Mabelrose realizes that there are no handsome princesses coming to her rescue, and as such she must rescue herself! Using her brains, courage and love, Mabelrose must evade the evil dragon and rescue the king of an anifolk (humanoid animals) kingdom from his scheming brother.

This if one of the best graphic novels that I have read in a long time, perhaps ever! The author does an excellent job of portraying a Western-style story (knights, Western dragons, magic, etc.) in a manga style that does credit to both! A clean and uplifting story, I had no compunction about turning the book over to my daughter - who also loved it.

So, if you want a fairy tale that includes the old standbys of knights, dragons and magic, and yet puts everything into a modern package, then this book is for you. Also, if you are just plain a fan of manga, then this book is also for you. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book to you!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The purest form of courage comes from a kid..., October 2, 2004

By 

B. Andico (Manila Philippines) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Courageous Princess Masterpiece Edition (Hardcover)

The Courageous Princess is a compilation of three books which chronicles the adventures of Princess Mabelrose, a princess in a fairy tale setting who's experienced something near-realistic, which actually defines the uniqueness and the turning point at which this main character started to define her identity and even maturity for her age which was about very early teens. Imagine being abducted by a Dragon and waiting for a prince to save her (a very classic and predictable scenario) only to find that the knight in shining armor is not coming (at least not soon enough). So with wit and courage, Princess Mabelrose stepped up and did the saving herself! (a twist that is definitely not predictable).

The Courageous Princess has earned the creator/artist Rod Espinosa great reviews from readers and fans and a nomination to the prestigious Will Eisner Awards for the graphic arts.

It is good that it was presented in the illustrated form of a graphic novel in that it can connect to the readers on a graphical level. And Mr. Espinosa's penchant for fusing western flair with anime has made this work an absolute favorite.

Now released in colored form, The Courageous Princess is an endearing story for kids and even to the mainstream market (mid-teens and comic book afficionados).

To those who are parents, I highly recommend this book for your kids. To Rod Espinosa artwork fans, this is a definite must for collection. And to everyone, try this out. You won't be disappointed...

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great fairytale!, December 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Courageous Princess (Paperback)

This book is enchanting. My children loved it. The princess is adorable and the story keeps the kids entertained. This is a must read! Something your children and you can enjoy reading together!