Customer Reviews

Sleeping Ugly

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am absolutely amazed that no one else has reviewed this little book yet. By far one of my all-time favorite stories, the book, Sleeping Ugly, is meant for children, but anyone with a sense of humor will savor this story.

Set in some unknown kingdom, Sleeping Ugly is a short story about a beautiful, perfectly worthless and mean princess named Miserella, a plain-as-mud orphan named Jane, a fairy in disguise, and an imnpoverished prince (the youngest son of a youngest son) named Jojo. This story takes the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty and promptly sets it on its ear. I received this book at age seven, and at age eighteen I still know the whole thing by heart. It's amazing that a book this short and this simply written can be so hilarious and filled with such wonderful characters. There's even some morals included, and the illustrations are great.

Every parent should buy this book for his/her child, and anyone who likes fairy tales should buy this book for him(her)self. You won't be disappointed!!!!

This is one of the best stories ever, period!!! Don't be fooled by its diminutive size or simple writing!! Go directly to a bookstore and pick it up!!!

In a time when we are swamped with superficial ideas, it is wonderful to see a book that shows children and ADULTS how to appreciate a girl or woman for her personal worth instead of just her looks.

The story starts out well enough, centering around the lovely-but-spoiled Princess Miserella and the sweet-but-ugly Plain Jane. Naturally, the book is filled with the contrasts between their two characters: Miserella makes people miserable while poor Plain Jane's sweetness is overlooked by people who only see her outside.

When the two meet a fairy godmother, things start to look up for Jane when her kindness wins her three wishes. Before she can use them, however, Miserella ticks off the godmother so much that her magic goes bonkers and puts them all to sleep. When a prince comes across the three sleeping women, he falls for Miserella's looks and decides to kiss her awake. Before he does this, however, he decides to "practice" kissing by kissing the godmother and Jane first. It is here that both the prince and the author of the story make their fatal mistakes.

When Jane wakes up and sees the prince (after being kissed by him), she naturally wants him for herself. Rather than taking the golden opportunity of developing a real relationship between the two characters, author Jane Yolen throws it away by having the brainless bimbo of a fairy godmother cast a spell on the prince that magically forces him to love Jane (that godmother's not too smart with a wand, is she?) In just a couple of sentences, Yolen totally ruins what began as a meaningful story.

First of all, I absolutely despise the idea of love spells; love is a wonderful, wild force that cannot possibly be controlled or imitated. Second of all, what's the point of forcing the prince to love Jane? If Yolen doesn't let Jane win the prince's love naturally, then what message does this give girls with low self-esteem? That a guy can't like you without a spell on him? I thought the whole point of the story was that inner beauty and kindness is rewarded, but it hardly counts if the prince had a spell on him; the nasty princess could just as easily have done that. I agree with the reviewer who said that Jane's kindness was ruined when she made Miserella's sleeping body a hat post and forbad anyone to kiss her back to life. It seems to me that was Jane's way of saying, "Well, I got the prince, I guess I don't need to be nice any more". I found myself hoping the prince would find out about the spell and dump Jane like she deserved; I also wouldn't have minded the fairy godmother being turned into the toad she really was. I love most of Yolen's work, but this one is a rare bad egg.

My mom used to read me this book when I was little. It teaches young girls that beauty is on the inside. I think more girls need to be read this story.

I liked this book because the prince kissed the right girl.I also liked this book because it had a happy ending. Miserella is very beautiful on the outside, but she's ugly, ugly, ugly on the inside! Plain Jane has a name to fit what she looks like. She has a crooked nose and teeth and her hair is short and messy. But Jane is very kind and beautiful on the inside. Which one do you think the prince chose?
This book reminded me os Sleeping Beauty because it was based on that book. If you like retold fairy tales you'll like Sleeping Ugly!

The story begins well, but the intended portrayal of the Plain Jane as inwardly beautiful fails when she reveals a desperately wicked heart, taking no pity on the hapless sleeping princess who is ugly inside but beautiful outside. Plain Jane even abuses the still-sleeping princess by using her as a hat stand and hangs a "no kissing" sign on her to prevent her being "kissed awake" by guests. In effect, she condemns the sleeping princess to death, thus exalting herself and becoming ugly in the eyes of those who know true beauty would never do such a thing. I consider Plain Jane more insidiously ugly, for she pretends to have true beauty (of heart) while her physically beautiful counterpart offers no pretense at inner beauty.

Sleeping Ugly
by Jane Yolen
reviewed by Meghan - Stockbridge Central School 3rd Grade


Are you tired of the same old fairy tales told over and over again? Here is one with a new twist... Sleeping ugly is about a really pretty princess on the outside but on the inside she is the meanest wickedest princes. Plain Jane is Ugly on the outside and really nice on the inside. I like this book because it has adventure and excitement. It is funny because Plain Jane is ugly and nice and Princes Miserella is pretty and mean. I recommend this book to first to third grade.

I wanted an unconventional tale for my daughter and was dissapointed. Although it tries to be unconventional by having the ugly girl being the good one I think it sells it's self short by still focusing the tale on attractiveness. The Jane character uses one of her magic wishes so that the Prince will love her. I would rather have tale about different forms of attractiveness or one in which the beauty of the characters isn't important. I want my daughter to know that morality is about the choices you make rather than the face you see in the mirror. BTW my husband liked this book so perhaps you will too.

I remember this book when I was a tiny little kid! I loved it so! I read it over and over, never tiring of it. Sadly, I lost it, and now I'm buying it again just cause it's such a classic! Average Jane gets the prince, woohoo!

In a startlingly funny retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale, Jane Yolan spins a clever and sweet tale in Sleeping Ugly. The ever-beautiful, but horribly spoiled and cruel princess Miserella rushes into the forest during a temper tantrum and soon loses her way. She stumbles (literally) over an old fairy, who grudgingly agrees to help her find a way home. The mismatched couple discover charming Plain Jane's ramshackle home, but when the infuriating princess refuses to behave, the fairy accidentally casts a sleeping spell over the whole house. A poor prince discovers them 100 years later and remembers that his duty is to awaken the princess with a kiss. However, during a practice kiss, the prince falls in love with Jane, with whom he lives happily ever after.
The theme of personality being paramount to beauty is key to this engaging tale. Though the princess' every movement is lovely, Jane's kindness and good-natured behavior win the love of the prince. Morals in society are so often skewed, but Yolan's funny story realigns children's ethics without being overbearing or obvious. Diane Stanley's terrific illustrations are wonderful as well. The cartoon style pen, ink, and paint drawings delightfully enhance the tale. The stunning, but pouting Miserella contrasts wonderfully with the homely, smiling Jane, and the reader cannot help but love Jane more for her cheerful appearance. One should also note Yolan's twist of the traditional Sleeping Beauty story. This ingenuity ought to be highly praised for its attempt to expand children's perspectives on the world. The creativity of Jane Yolan's story Sleeping Ugly combine enchantingly with Diane Stanley's artwork to form a truly memorable story that children are sure to adore.