The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm [Hardcover]

Eric A. Kimmel (Author), Robert G. Sauber (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

On her way to marry a distant prince, a young princess is forced to trade places with her evil serving maid and becomes a goose girl instead of a bride when she reaches her destination.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This Brothers Grimm story of a good-hearted princess usurped by her maid and turned into a common goose girl is classic fairy tale fodder, and Kimmel revels in the magical, wistful aspects of this fanciful genre. Kimmel's princess is sweet and demure, like most fairy tale princesses are. (So much so that she puts up with her maid's abuses for fear of being rude, even after she's forced to fetch her own drink of water and-horrors!-soil her beautiful dress.) In this world a dead horse waxes poetic, the evil maid is cruelly punished and the princess sits in the foreground of a pastoral setting while her hair sparkles "in the sunlight like threads of pure gold." Sauber's (I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where) earthy colors and loose brush strokes combine for a painterly look that effectively portrays the romance of this fantasy land; each piece of artwork is framed with a decorative border. With its castles and steeds, noblesse oblige and happy ending, this is a good choice for those looking for old-fashioned make-believe. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Kimmel's retelling sticks closely to the Grimms' tale of a princess whose serving girl forces her to reverse roles during the long journey to meet her betrothed. While the princess is relegated to tending the geese, the evil impostor is welcomed into the castle and has Falada, the enchanted horse, put to death. His magic, however, has not died, and it is the words of her faithful animal and the kindness of the king that eventually restores the princess to her rightful place. Sauber, who collaborated with Kimmel in I-Know-Not-What, I-Know-Not-Where (Holiday, 1994), frames each page in a decorative border. The story is propelled by Kimmel's perfect pacing and phrasing and by the vitality of the oil paintings, achieved through a sense of rapid dashes of color, with some scenes having an almost unfinished quality. The artist also pushes many of the details beyond the borders and makes the most of the princess's flowing, flaming tresses. Most libraries will want to own this title.?Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823410749
• ISBN-13: 978-0823410743
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,525,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Graphic fairy tale, February 8, 2003

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ardnam "ardnam" (NJ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Goose Girl: A Story from the Brothers Grimm (Hardcover)

This book is bit graphic for young children--a horse's head is cut off and hung on a gate post. I do read this book to my second grade class but I do a bit of my own editing as I go along. Children love fairy tales and aside from the graphic content in a couple of places this book is a good bargain.