From Publishers Weekly
This tale of enchantment and familial devotion is the retelling of a lesser known English fairy tale. Bamborough Castle is the home of a widowed Kking and his lovely daughter Margaret and son Childe Wynde. The King falls in love with a beautiful but wicked enchantress who, in a jealous rage, turns the Pprincess into a dragon. The story of Childe Wynde's quest to free his sister casts a spell on readers. The traditional telling is enhanced by Wiesner's classic watercolors. Few artists depict the medieval world or labyrinthine castles, venomous enchantresses and fair damsels as well; he is attentive to detail, with richly brocaded costumery of the period and architecturally correct renderings of castles and their interiors. The subtle palette of greens, grays and blues achieves a peaceful tonality. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–Wiesner and Kahng's 1987 retelling of a retelling of an English folktale based on an 18th-century ballad has been revised with a briefer, more accessible text, some reworked illustrations, a new cover, and an added source note. With her brother Richard (Childe Wynd in the earlier version) gone to see the world, Princess Margaret is left to console her widowed father until his remarriage to a beautiful enchantress. Consumed by jealousy, the new queen turns Margaret into a Loathsome Dragon that terrorizes the kingdom. With advice from a mighty wizard, the people keep the dragon's hunger under control and send a message to Prince Richard to return as only he can break the spell. Despite the queen's attempt to foil this plan, Richard manages to reverse the enchantment, freeing Margaret and turning the queen into a Loathsome Toad by means of a magic rowan twig. The artwork in this version is more vivid, and the softly colored and patterned frames have been replaced with white borders that make the pictures less remote. As in the original, the dragon seems intentionally benign rather than loathsome, suggesting the trapped princess within. The uncomplicated telling and appealing double-page paintings make this a good introduction to the folk genre.
–Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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