The English Roses is a story of rivalry and friendship among schoolgirls in contemporary London. Four little girls-Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace-are eleven years old and the very best of friends. They have sleepovers, picnics and ice-skating parties that exclude Binah, a beautiful girl whose seemingly perfect life makes them "green with envy." However, when a feisty, pumpernickel-loving fairy godmother takes them on a magical journey, they learn to their great surprise that Binah's life is not nearly as enviable as it had seemed. The English Roses is an inspiring story about the importance of compassion and the rewards of friendship.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Madonna hangs up her material-girl cloak to teach children the importance of looking beyond a surface sheen. In The English Roses, the superstar's children's book debut, four little girls (the roses in question) "play the same games, read the same books, and like the same boys." Nicole, Amy, Charlotte, and Grace all love to dance the monkey and the tickety-boo… and they all are horribly jealous of Binah, the perfect, beautiful, smart, kind girl who lives nearby. Even though they know Binah is lonely, she makes them sick. They would say, "Let's pretend we don't see her when she walks by." And even, "Let's push her into the lake!" The pleasantly bossy narrator explains, "And that is what they did. No, silly, not the lake part, the pretending not to see her part." One night, however, the four girls all have the same dream that sets them straight. A fairy godmother sprinkles them with fairy dust and takes them to spy on Binah. When they see that she lives alone with her father, slaving away night and day at household chores, the four girly grumblers feel very sorry for her. The fairy scolds them, "… in the future, you might think twice before grumbling that someone else has a better life than you." And they do. This morality tale is nothing new under the sun, but it is cleverly told, with many teaspoonfuls of good humor. Jeffrey Fulvimari's illustrations are no less than stunning--filling every page with vivacious black ink lines and gorgeous watercolor reminiscent of 1960s fashion sketches. Children will enjoy this "don't hate me because I'm beautiful" story that celebrates friendship as much as it teaches compassion. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-In yet another change of public persona, Madonna turns Mother-Knows-Best moralist with a tale aimed at preteens, though packaged in picture-book format. Responding to an admonition from one of their mothers, and with additional guidance from a fairy godmother, four young fashion plates at a sleepover simultaneously dream that a classmate, ostracized because of her extreme beauty, has to do all the household chores because her mum is dead. When this actually turns out to be true, the four guiltily invite Binah into their circle, and surprise, surprise, soon they're all thick as thieves. An unseen narrator delivers this rough-hewn story in a conversational, "listen to me, I'm telling you this for your own good," tone, breaking in distractingly several times to make sure that readers are paying attention. Reflecting a background in fashion art, Fulvimari places skinny lasses with oversized eyes, dressing and posing as if they've stepped from the pages of a department store catalog, against visually bewildering expanses of scribbled filigree or loudly patterned wallpaper. All in all, this overproduced episode, the first of a projected series, will have to rely on hype rather than content or presentation to find a readership.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 74 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Reading through Madonna's children's story, I imagine Madonna herself as a child being consoled that the other girls are mean to her because they are actually jealous of her, jealous of her beauty. Lots of people have probably been told some version of this, "the other kids are just mean to you because they are jealous of..." It provides some comfort to a child, who will then grow up hopefully developing some more nuanced social skills for navigating these relationships.
With the insularity and unceasing narcissistic gratification of her unique brand of celebrity, Madonna seems to have never had to look back critically and challenge this core belief. So now we have Madonna's version of a children's story: Four beautiful stuck-up girls shun an even more beautiful stuck-up girl. Can't we all relate? Until a fairy godmother, piggish and obese yet wise, visits the girls in their dreams and informs them that the prettier girl should be pitied because her mother's dead which means she has to do extra housework. The girls wise up and start acting nicer to the girl, and the narrator winks at us and hints that this is a sort of a true story.
I have nothing against Madonna. I enjoy some of her music. I was entertained by her more provocative foray into publishing back in '92. I was amused at seeing her interviewed with her celebrity puppet rabbi at her side telling the public "Madonna has mastered Kabbalah at about a 99% level." I enjoyed her interview with David Letterman when she proclaimed that children should all be potty trained by 18 months. She's wrong, but it is fascinating to see someone with that level of confidence in ever aspect of her life. I like the sometimes British accent and I don't judge her for it, it's natural to pick up bits of an accent, especially for someone who has been well-rewarded for being a cultural chameleon. And I don't think her acting is as bad as people say. But all that aside, this is not a book that would have seen the light of day if it wasn't written by a celebrity.
It's okay though. I really want to be fair, I don't want to reject the book just because I know it's a vanity project. It speaks to some real issues about the impact of social hierarchies in childhood, although it speaks to these issues from the perspective of someone who doesn't quite see the big picture.
With the insularity and unceasing narcissistic gratification of her unique brand of celebrity, Madonna seems to have never had to look back critically and challenge this core belief. So now we have Madonna's version of a children's story: Four beautiful stuck-up girls shun an even more beautiful stuck-up girl. Can't we all relate? Until a fairy godmother, piggish and obese yet wise, visits the girls in their dreams and informs them that the prettier girl should be pitied because her mother's dead which means she has to do extra housework. The girls wise up and start acting nicer to the girl, and the narrator winks at us and hints that this is a sort of a true story.
I have nothing against Madonna. I enjoy some of her music. I was entertained by her more provocative foray into publishing back in '92. I was amused at seeing her interviewed with her celebrity puppet rabbi at her side telling the public "Madonna has mastered Kabbalah at about a 99% level." I enjoyed her interview with David Letterman when she proclaimed that children should all be potty trained by 18 months. She's wrong, but it is fascinating to see someone with that level of confidence in ever aspect of her life. I like the sometimes British accent and I don't judge her for it, it's natural to pick up bits of an accent, especially for someone who has been well-rewarded for being a cultural chameleon. And I don't think her acting is as bad as people say. But all that aside, this is not a book that would have seen the light of day if it wasn't written by a celebrity.
It's okay though. I really want to be fair, I don't want to reject the book just because I know it's a vanity project. It speaks to some real issues about the impact of social hierarchies in childhood, although it speaks to these issues from the perspective of someone who doesn't quite see the big picture.
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This is a weak, unimaginative book that comes across as an amateur offering at best. In fact, my eleven year old niece has written more engaging stories in her English assignments. It's a basic story with flat prose (a pretty little girl is ignored by her peers because they're jealous of her looks. In steps a fairy godmother to show them that the girl's life is actually quite sad, so they should be nicer to her). This book seems to be too basic for the age-group it's aimed at (i.e. the `peer' age of the girls in the story of 8+), yet it's probably not pertinent enough for children who tend to have picture books read to them. In my experience most toddlers are content to interact with all children (in fact younger kids invariably gravitate towards the more aesthetically pleasing of their peers). The book also skips the issue of how children ought to treat beautiful peers who don't have dead mothers. I thought that you were supposed to be nice to people no matter what. This book seems to say, okay, the kid's prettier than you but hey, be nice, her mom's dead. This is a one-dimensional offering that simply doesn't cover the real issues of jealousy and ostracism. It also seems to ignore the fact that, in today's world, it's the plain, overweight children who are usually left out. All in all, it's pretty terrible.
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
You know, I actually expected it to be pretty good, as I figured she had probably hired someone to "edit" it into a well-written and fun book.
Nope, she wrote it all herself. The moral? That beautiful people have problems too, and that the children of single family households are stressed slaves without childhoods. Um, how did that bit get past the PC review board?
Poorly written and insulting to anyone with only one parent, anyone who is snubbed by the "in crowd" for reasons other than being beautiful and perfect, or with a sense of literary decency.
I'm appauled at how many people enjoyed this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
her first and no other book like it
very girlie with a good message for all. Not in folk lore style, but definitely a fairy tale message with a fairy godmother too.
Published 1 month ago by ms Frizzle
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mixed feeling about this one but overall, it was good.
First, let me just say that I like Madonna who is incredibly talented as an entertainer and I will always sing and dance to her music. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Beatrix Tambunan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty book, but not much happening.
Like many young girls I was a big fan of Madonna in the 80s. I always planned to get around to checking out her children's books, but since I do not have a young daughter it took... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Privacy, Please
3.0 out of 5 stars
As longest some is happy.Was purchased for collector-today can't...
Waste of money. Just made Madonna reachier. But that is ok. Book was for a gift, so no worries, as longest someone is happy, right? That is what counts the most!
Published 16 months ago by Energy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Colorful and Interesting
Interesting book for children. It functions as both a read-aloud book AND a book they can hold on and appreciate as they grow older. Read more
Published on May 18, 2011 by E Camille
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review on Madonn's children's book. Half and half.
Who could have thought Madonna would come up with an interesting children's book like this? It does have a nice moral for children, it ends positively and teaches a good lesson... Read more
Published on February 2, 2011 by John Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed this book with my 7 year old daughter
I was happy to find this book at Amazon.com. My daughter and I really enjoyed it. My daughter loves to read about older girls and it is a very enjoyable read.
Published on January 14, 2009 by K. Z. Croes
4.0 out of 5 stars
In bloom.
The English Roses by Madonna was the first children's book for the pop star. I read this book when it was released in the fall of 2003, it is a cute book and the illustrations are... Read more
Published on January 12, 2009 by ADRIENNE MILLER
4.0 out of 5 stars
Can't we all just get along?
Madonna, never one to shy away from controversy, has once again landed in familiar territory, allbeit undeserving, you guessed it, good ole controversy. Read more
Published on April 9, 2008 by Enrique Torres
5.0 out of 5 stars
The English Roses
OK, for those that don't like Madonna---step aside and give this book the objective review it deserves... This book was a gift for my daughter of 7 years. Read more
Published on January 2, 2007 by Carleen Davis
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