The Twelve Princesses (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Artist)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An all-duck cast gives a campy spin to a Brothers Grimm classic in Fitchett's first children's book. While the text is relatively faithful to the original, the art replaces romance with an abundance of quirkily comic details. The nocturnal dancing siblings, for example, sport an amusing spectrum of hair styles, from a golden spiked 'do to a pink beehive, and their array of multicolored platform shoes and spike heels would turn Imelda Marcos green with envy. Bedecked in jewels and a range of outrageous fashionsAwith lipstick meticulously applied to the edges of their beaksAthe vain duckling sisters sneak out to meet dashing, equally garishly clad duck princes who whisk them off in an eclectic fleet of rowboats to a stylized, mid-lake castle. Fitchett achieves a deadpan styleAworking in colored pencil, he creates pebble-textured compositions with a deceptively formal mood. This fun, funky rendition may not edge out Jane Ray's or Kinuko Y. Craft's more traditional versions of the same story, but it marks Fitchett as a newcomer to watch. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-This condensed retelling of the Grimms' story lacks the flowing vocabulary and descriptive detail that are characteristic of a well-told fairy tale. The clipped text, with its many multi-phrase sentences, rushes readers through the tale, making for a very unsatisfying read-aloud. More than a third of the sentences begin with conjunctions. The highlight of this retelling is clearly Fitchett's busy colored-pencil art crafted in grainy jewel tones with the sophisticated humor of The New Yorker cartoons. His characters are ducks whose "palaces" are glorified duck nesting boxes, and whose "kingdoms" encompass spans of picturesque lakes, mountains, and trees. The duck princesses and their princes are coifed and dressed in a multitude of styles. Retellings by Jane Ray (Dutton, 1996) and Marianna Mayer (Morrow, 1989), illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft, hold to the descriptiveness of the original tale, although there are small differences in detail in each of them. Both would be duckier additions to folklore collections.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803724748
• ISBN-13: 978-0803724747
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,381,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Height of Fowl Fashion., November 2, 2000

By	Sarah Olson (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews

The illustrations are what make this Brothers Grimm classicincomparable. The storyline runs much as it generally does-there aretwelve princess sisters who are locked in their room every night butevery morning their shoes are mysteriously worn out. The king offersthe hand of one of his daughters as a reward to the man who candiscover what is happening each night but, if unsuccessful, thepenalty is death. An old soldier decides he wants to accept thechallenge....

But Fitchell's illustrations add a new angle to thetale. The main characters in his story aren't merely beautifulprincesses; they are beautiful DUCK princesses. Their hair, theirclothing, their regal poses-all reflect the rich attention paid byFitchell to the illustrations. They tell a beautiful and enchantingstory in their own right. Never have fowl looked less foul. END

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Ducky, November 5, 2009

By	Madigan McGillicuddy (California) - See all my reviews

Anthropomorphic ducks play the parts in this funny re-telling of the classic fairy tale. Colored pencil artwork reminiscent of the Roaring 20's conveys a shiny, high gloss to the illustrations. The background scenery seems slightly reminiscent of Sweden. Wildly multi-colored and perfectly coiffed hair (long blonde hair for one, a blue beehive for another, green flip-do for yet another and a black Louise Brooks style bob among others distinguish the twelve duck sisters from each other. Interestingly, the hero of the story is NOT a young, good looking, down on his luck fellow; but rather an injured veteran who is, we sense, enlisting magical aid to discover the princesses' secret so that he might enjoy a comfortable retirement. Hoary eyebrows and a run down soldier's uniform serve to distinguish his look. Rich, saturated colors throughout the book lend extra definition to the scenes with the invisibility cloak that has been cleverlyrendered in yellow and white. The shoes also take a star turn here, featured on the title page, bejeweled and dazzling, and later in the story worn out and torn up with crunched heels. And although it is the youngest sister who suspects an invisible interloper in their midst, when the old veteran finally does triumph and reveal where the princesses have been going, he chooses the eldest as his wife. Although there is no real romance hinted at between the two of them earlier in the story, a final illustration of the eldest princess and her war veteran husband sailing off into the sunset holding a mangled pair of shoes, suggests that this may not have been a completely unhappy pairing for them.

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for children , August 15, 2006

By	swan7girl (OH, USA) - See all my reviews

I got this book during my daughter's current 'princess' phase and was unware of the story's premise. I would have never read it to her had I been aware of the storyline where the duck prince "gets his head cut off" because he does not solve the mystery of where the princesses go at night and why their shoes are worn. Try explaining a beheading to a six year old.

Needless to say I quickly made up an alternate fate of the duck prince and we'll never read this book again. I'm returning it!