The Fairytale Hairdresser by Abie Longstaff

The Fairytale Hairdresser by Abie Longstaff was released in the UK (Amazon.co.uk link) this past January but has not been released in the U.S. yet. I don't know if it ever will be, but it is cute from what I have seen of it and I wanted to share it online. I've got Rapunzel on the brain anyway since Tangled was released on DVD/Blu-Ray/etc. yesterday.
Anyway, back to The Fairytale Hairdresser. Here's the description first:

Join Kitty Lacey, the fairytale hairdresser, as she tames the wildest of locks, deals with the most demanding and unusual of customers, ultimately foils the Witch's evil plan and plays cupid to the newly coiffed Rapunzel. (A decent haircut really can work wonders!).

I would love to read this one and learn what the full storyline is. Perhaps someday...you UK readers should look it up during your next trip to the bookstore and let us know!

And now for some pictures:

New Book: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon is officially released tomorrow. Isn't that a gorgeous cover? I'm sure there was a big squee over that one by Dixon when she saw it. This is a Twelve Dancing Princesses inspired novel which we haven't had in a little while although there was a gush a few years ago.

Description from the publisher:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Starred review from Booklist:

In the half-magical world of Eathesbury, Azalea is the oldest of 12 daughters and heir to her father's throne. When the sisters' mother dies after a long illness, the siblings find a hidden passageway to an enchanted pavilion under the castle where they can dance all night, secretly breaking the rules of mourning. The mysterious and alluring Keeper makes this possible, but he also seems to have less-than-honorable plans for the girls, especially Azalea. The tale's atmosphere becomes increasingly dark and brooding as the truth from ages past comes out, and Azalea realizes just what evil they are pitted against. With several unexpected twists, the story, based on the original Grimms' tale "The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes," plunges toward a harrowing conclusion. This first novel is richly imagined with a gothic feel, and Dixon's descriptions of the many dances are thrilling. Although the general story line will be familiar to readers of Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball (2009), this romantic fantasy is darker in tone, and the villain resembles the faeries in Nancy Werlin's Impossible (2008) and O. R. Melling's The Hunter's Moon (2005). The story gracefully explores significant themes of grief and loss, mercy and love. Full of mystery, lush settings, and fully orbed characters, Dixon's debut is both suspenseful and rewarding. Grades 7-10. --Melissa Moore

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Ruth Sanderson

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Ruth Sanderson is our picture book of the day. I wanted to highlight a Twelve Dancing Princesses picture book today since I am also featuring a post on a new related novel, Entwined by Heather Dixon. This is tied for first place with Kinuko Craft's version as my favorite modern illustrated rendition. It is really impressive how popular this tale has become in the past decade. When I started SurLaLune most people weren't familiar with it. Now even I have a book for it, Twelve Dancing Princesses Tales From Around the World.

And here are some images:

You can read about the conception and execution of this rather famous image (it has been licensed quite a bit) on Sanderson's site at The Artist at Work. Page down to the very bottom.

I Was a Rat

 

The film version of I Was a Rat based on the novel, I Was a Rat! by Philip Pullman, recently received some press. I've never seen this movie and wonder how many of you have seen it. It had a bigger release in the UK in 2001 but is pretty much unknown here. So it was recently featured at the Charleston Film Festival with the hope that it will pick up a larger audience. It is available used on DVD so you don't have to hope for a film festival to see it. Have any of you seen it? For that matter, how many of you have read the book?

From Fairy tale intelligent, funny: Refreshingly different 'I Was a Rat' to be introduced at Charleston Film Festival by Bill Thompson:

Family films need not be pitched at a level of a witlessness, with too-cute kids, clueless parents and story lines that are pure formula.

Armed with an intelligent, humorous script based on the book by Philip Pullman, and fortified by a fine cast, Toronto-based director Laurie Lynd knew that "I Was a Rat" would engage a discerning audience.

"The story intrigued me from the start," said Lynd, who will introduce his movie this week at the second annual Charleston Film Festival, running today through Sunday at the Terrace Theatre. "As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to do it because the writing was so rare.

"So much family-oriented material is maudlin and does not treat an audience with respect. By contrast, 'I Was a Rat" is smart and charming, but never saccharine. It's a great, universal kids' story, like 'Cinderella" (of which the tale is a variation) or 'Pinocchio' -- light and fun but with some scary bits. There's a lovely range to it."

Starring Oscar winner Brenda Fricker and Academy Award nominees Tom Conti and Ned Beatty, "I Was a Rat" is fractured fairy tale centering on a little boy who, wandering alone, is taken in by a kindly couple. The boy is cold, damp and eager to take advantage of the offered shelter, but the adults are puzzled by his claims that he was once a rat.

Meanwhile, rumors are rampant at the local newspaper about the prince's new love, a girl who captivated everyone who glimpsed her at a palace ball.

In "Cinderella" we have the familiar story of how the Fairy Godmother turned a scullery maid into a princess and kitchen rats into footmen and pages, dispatching them to the ball. Yet few know that during the gala ball one of those pageboys ran off to play. When the clock struck 12 and Cinderella lit out for home, the pageboy was left behind, unchanged -- a lad dismayed by a dim memory of a former life.

A review summary from The New York Times:

Based on the children's book by Philip Pullman, Laurie Lynd's I Was a Rat is a feature-length fable originally made as a three-part BBC miniseries. A reworking of a popular fairy tale, the story opens with a young abandoned pageboy (Calum Worthy) taken in by a childless couple: the aging cobbler Bob (Tom Conti) and domestic worker Joan (Brenda Fricker). Nicknamed Roger, the pageboy claims that he isn't human at all but a rat, which attracts the interest of the Daily Scourge newspaper, a mad scientist, and a carnival owner named Oliver Tapscrew (Don McKellar). The search for Roger's real home is accompanied by the story of Lady Aurelia (Katie Blake) and her prince (James Millard). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Giveaway: Week 1 Winner and Week 2 Prize

 

Congrats to Mari, entry #33 chosen by Random.org, who won a copy of The Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon. I've sent you an email Mari requesting your mailing address!

This week's giveaway is a copy of New Orleans Museum of Art: Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio. This is the exhibit book from the special exhibit in New Orleans in 2009/10 that coincided with the release of The Frog Princess. It is about the artwork behind the Disney fairy tale films and is a rare book. I picked up a few copies during my trip to NOMA in December and plan to give away two in total in the coming weeks. I thought a Disney related giveaway would be appropriate this week in conjunction with the Tangled DVD/Blu-ray release. Ironic since Tangled is the only film not covered in the book.

The opening quote in the book is:

So far I've only posted the contest here on the blog where we get 10% of the daily traffic that the SurLaLune main site receives. That means there are less contest entries, but I will be adding it to the main site soon.

“It has always been my hope that our fairytale films will result in a desire of viewers to read again the fine, old original tales and enchanting myths on the home bookshelf or school library...” - Walter Elias Disney

Around the World in 80 Tales by Saviour Pirotta and illustrated by Richard Johnson

Around the World in 80 Tales by Saviour Pirotta and illustrated by Richard Johnson is a very appealing collection of folktales with lush illustrations that will appeal to many ages and both genders. I have found more fairy tale collections for kids have a more feminine slant to them in packaging which makes it harder to sell to boys and their grown-ups. (I always, ALWAYS want to say "grups." Does that make me too much of a Star Trek nerd?) Anyway, my husband came over to talk to me as I was prepping these illustrations and wanted a closer look if that gives you any indication of how they appeal to a large audience. I like that they are sweet but not overly so with vibrant colors. They don't appear as generic in tone and nature as so many illustrated fairy tale collections tend to look, if that makes any sense, but still have a cohesive tone and style.

Book description from the publisher:

This richly illustrated book takes readers on a journey across six continents, with entertaining folktales from eighty different storytelling traditions. An excellent introduction to foreign countries, these beautifully told stories are perfect for reading aloud and encouraging children to learn about different cultures and other parts of the world. From a dragon princess in China to a clever peddler in Morocco, children will meet wonderful characters as they travel story-by-story around the globe. An ideal gift, this deluxe volume is a joyous celebration of the world's wonderful diversity.

About the Author

Saviour Pirotta has written more than sixty fiction and nonfiction books for children, and his works have been translated into ten languages. He has a special interest in myths and traditional legends from around the world. Saviour was born in Malta and is a trained chef.

And now for some pages and illustrations. I included the Table of Contents pages which are faint in text but can give you an idea of what tales are included. The biggest fairy tale hits are absent, but Cap O' Rushes is included so we get one Cinderella variant.

Tangled this Tuesday

  

Just a reminder that Tangled is released this Tuesday in many formats and I for one am excited. I preordered mine months ago and it will arrive on my doorstep on Tuesday. I never made it back to see it in the theatre again, but I really did enjoy it and plan to watch it again soon. This is my favorite Disney fairy tale, with Sleeping Beauty right behind it. I enjoy Beauty and the Beast, but there are storytelling parts that make me uncomfortable, too, so I am eager to see if Tangled holds up to a second viewing without hitting my personal buttons. Ah, Disney, we have such a complicated relationship.

And if you do buy through Amazon, remember that clicking through a SurLaLune link first helps to support the site. Thank you for that. It's a little bit at a time but it adds up to making it possible to keep the site going.

And if you watch it and want to read more Rapunzel tales, there is always Rapunzel and Other Maiden in the Tower Tales From Around the World to read more about it. Or SurLaLune's Rapunzel page, of course.

So what is your favorite Disney fairy tale? Or your least favorite?