by Alethea Kontis School Library Journal Gr 7-9-Sunday Woodcutter is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and as such she finds that her stories have great power. When she meets a frog in the woods one day, their friendship slowly blossoms into love. Once he is freed from a dastardly spell and restored to his human form, Crown Prince Rumbold returns to the castle and calls for three balls to be held so that he may reunite with his beloved. When he meets Sunday's family at the first ball, he realizes that there is a troubled history between their families and decides to conceal his previous amphibian identity. As magic suddenly blossoms throughout the Woodcutter family, two dueling fairy godmothers battle for the kingdom's fate, and the Frog Prince and his love must each rely on the other to find true happiness. Kontis delivers a fairy-tale mash-up that outright sparkles. The characters are perfectly drawn, with flaws, hidden agendas, and a seemingly infinite hope for a bright and loving future. Fanciful bits of almost every classical fairy tale dance through Sunday's story, leading readers into an effervescent new world. The twists and turns, the nod to genre classics, and the emotional depth of this novel will captivate readers.-Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Book list In the land of Arilland, Sunday the seventh daughter of a seventh son is supposed to be blithe and bonny and gay and no more than a silly afterthought in the shadow of her older brother and six remarkable sisters. However, it's clear she's meant for more when she meets a talking frog. True, a talking frog is not unusual in her neck of the woods, but this one is insightful and kind, and he listens to the stories she writes, tales that have a strange knack for coming true. Slowly, the two fall in love and share a kiss, and that's where the real once-upon-a-time begins. Arilland is a delightful blend of original world building and traditional fairy tales. And Sunday herself is a greatest-hits mash-up of different princesses and fairy-tale heroines, including, of course, Cinderella. But it's the relaxed humor of Kontis' presentation that not only ups the realism of characters unfazed by talking frogs and fey characters but also gives this offering its sweet, distinctive stamp.--Jones, Courtney Copyright 2010 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. |
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