Zoë B. Alley

Author Zoë B. and illustrator R.W. Alley, the husband and wife team who previously collaborated on There's a Wolf at the Door, return with this follow-up title in the same vein. Another massive picture-book done in comic-book style, it follows a series of related princesses through a humorous retelling of five traditional tales. Beginning with Cinderella, in which the young Ashley wins her prince after the fated ball, the narrative moves on to Ashley's daughter, Princess Dawn. Fated to become The Sleeping Beauty, Dawn is awakened by her prince in turn, but sets out on an adventure, becoming Snow White in the process. Eventually marrying her handsome prince, Dawn in turn has a daughter, Princess Misty, who loses her ball in a well in The Frog Prince. Finally, Misty's daughter, Princess Destiny must prove her royal bonafides in The Princess and the Pea...

Having enjoyed their previous foray into fractured fairy-tale territory, I was fairly sure I would enjoy this second book from the Alleys, and I was not mistaken. There's a Princess in the Palace presents an entertaining reading adventure, particularly for those already familiar with the five tales being retold. I liked the way in which these various popular princess stories were linked to one another, and I found the running commentary offered by the two sardonic mice quite amusing. Their final exchange, about being fond of the city and country, respectively, was a sly, subtle nod to the Aesopian fable of The Country Mouse and the City Mouse. The artwork here, which looks like it was done in watercolor, was quite expressive, capturing the humor of these retellings. As I said in my review of the earlier Alleys book, I'm not sure this would work with a larger story-time group, as the comic-book format, with all of its speech bubbles, will make the narrative quite long, but as a title for one-on-one reading, or independent reading on children's part, I think it will work very well. Recommended to young fairy-tale fans who enjoy humorous send-ups of their favorite stories.… (mehr)

Author and illustrator team Zoë B. and R.W. Alley—also husband and wife—follow their eponymous wolf through five traditional tales in this engaging comic-book-style picture-book. Our long-suffering lupine hero, always hungry for a good meal, at first attempts to capture the famous Three Little Pigs, before moving on to the sheep being guarded by The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Balked at every turn, he next falls in with the somewhat overly fashion-conscious Little Red Riding Hood, where he likewise has no luck. His adventures as The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing bring him no advantage, so he makes his final effort at a meal in The Wolf and the Seven Goslings...

The first of two oversized fairy-tale picture-books in this style created by the Alleys—the second being There's a Princess in the Palace—There's a Wolf at the Door is an engaging, humorous reading adventure, particularly for those already familiar with the traditional tales in question. I liked the little additions to the stories—the Three Little Pigs having names, Little Red Riding Hood being a little shallow at first—and the way all five tales are tied together in one narrative. The artwork is fun, and captures the humor of the story quite well. I particularly liked the conclusion, in which the exasperated wolf thinks he might turn vegetarian, after all his troubles, as the sign next to him points the way to "Farmer MacGregor's Garden!" I'm not sure this would work with a larger story-time group, as the comic-book format, with all of its speech bubbles, will make the narrative quite long, but as a title for one-on-one reading, or independent reading on children's part, I think it will work very well. Recommended to young fairy-tale fans who enjoy humorous send-ups of their favorite stories.… (mehr)