Deep Sale on North American Bear Company Nesting Puppets Pigs/Wolf

For some unknown reason, the North American Bear Company Nesting Puppets Pigs/Wolf which retail for $39.99 and usually are listed for $30+ on Amazon are currently priced at $16.99. The price could literally change any minute. They make a useful storytelling tool for the story.

To show what a wonderful price that is, the North American Bear Company Nesting Puppets Bears/Goldilocks is currently at the retail price of $39.99.

Anyway, a gift add-on or something to save for the next baby shower--I always give books or puppets for shower gifts--they last longer than the clothes. :)

A Greek Animal Bridegroom: Mr. Semolina-Semolinus

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Mr. Semolina-Semolinus: A Greek Folktale by Anthony L. Manna (Author), Christodoula Mitakidou (Author), Giselle Potter (Illustrator) is a picture book version of a rare Beauty and the Beast type of tale. The tale, admittedly, on the surface, appears to be more of a gender switched Pygmalion, but upon closer inspection it grows in resemblance to ATU 425A, especially in the heroine's quest to retrieve her spouse when he is stolen away from her. For that reason, it is often classified as an ATU 425A tale for the husband is not a natural human either, qualifying him as an Animal Bridegroom in a loose sense.

This exact tale does not appear in my Beauty and the Beast Tales From Around the World, but another common variant from Greece can be found in that volume, "The Sugar Man." Variants with the groom made of sugar were more common in my research.

I will mention here that the Greek--along with some Italian-- variants of Animal Bridegroom tales are quite full of variety and surprises. The beast may be only a disembodied head, a pumpkin, or a cooked up concoction, to give a few examples. I should devote individual entries to those in January. For the rest of December, I am offering up picture book renditions of Animal Bridegroom tales so we can all look at pretty pictures together. There will be some other tales, too, but I have been rather focused on Beauty and the Beast of late.

And I'd like to add that this is a tale of girl power for those looking for that in their fairy tales. This tale is much happier than Pygmalion with a spunky heroine who knows what she wants and refuses to cower when she faces defeat. She is full of action and wit. I like her!

Book description:

Since she cannot find the perfect man to marry, feisty Princess Areti decides to create a man of her own, Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, out of sugar, almonds, and semolina wheat, but when he is kidnapped by an evil queen, Areti must brave a perilous journey to get him back.

A Note About This Story (from the book):

Tales that tell of inanimate objects brought to life appear in many countries. The theme of the person whose desire for love is so powerful that he or she can make even a doll or statue come alive is a favorite among the storytellers in the easter Mediterranean countries of Italy, Greece, and Turkey. In Greece alone, there are some forty versions. Most common are ones like Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, in which the person who longs for a companion uses sugar and other common cooking ingredients like semolina, a wheat extract, to make an ideal human being.

Cupid and Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft and Kinuko Y. Craft

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Cupid and Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft (Author) and Kinuko Y. Craft (Illustrator) is one of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale titles still in print. There aren't many picture books of Cupid and Psyche to be found and this is a gorgeous option with Kinuko Craft's artwork. I've discussed the tale repeatedly here and its influence and importance in the ancestry of Beauty and the Beast. So I'll just sit back and let you enjoy the pictures today.

Book description:

Psyche is the most beautiful woman in the world, yet the oracle at Delphi foresees she will fall in love with a creature feared even by the gods themselves.

Magically, Psyche finds herself in a magnificent castle fitted with sweet music, attentive servants, and a charming but invisible host. Soon she falls in love with this man she has never seen, but in a moment of doubt she betrays his trust. To win back his love, Psyche must show that she is as brave as she is beautiful by performing three impossible tasks.

Perhaps the greatest love story of all, Cupid and Psyche is unsurpassed in its richness and drama. Marie Craft's lively, suspenseful retelling of this classic Greek myth will appeal to young and old alike. And these legendary lovers have inspired forty lush luminous paintings by award-winning artist Kinuko Craft.

Lavishly illustrated and thrillingly told, here is a book to be treasured forever.

The Star Child by the Grimms, illustrated by Bernadette Watts

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The Star Child is a picture book of Die Sterntaler by the Grimms, usually known as The Star Money or The Star Talers (talers as in coins) in English. It's not as well known but it is beloved by many who do know it. The most famous image from the story is of the little heroine gathering falling stars into her dress. It appears regularly in fairy tale materials and many readers do not recognize the short tale. It is one I see the most questions about, so I thought I would highlight it here today.

This book--the only English language picture book version I am aware of--is illustrated by Bernadette Watts who has illustrated many fairy tales, especially the Grimms for picture books. The cover image is sweet, here's a slightly larger version:

For me, the story has become a Christmas tale although it is not Christmas related. However, it's theme of generosity and giving along with the star imagery make it feel like a Christmas tale, one that is much happier than the usual focus on "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tale perhaps with the strongest ties to Christmas in popular culture. Much less death and guilt, but a joy in giving is conveyed.

Book description:

There was once a young girl whose only possessions were the clothes on her back and a piece of bread some kind soul had given to her. But even these few things meant much to others less fortunate than herself, and in selfless love, the girl gave the little she had away. In this beautiful Grimm tale, her virtue is rewarded a thousand times over.

The Lady and the Lion: A Brothers Grimm Tale by Jacqueline K. Ogburn and Laurel Long

The Lady and the Lion: A Brothers Grimm Tale by Jacqueline K. Ogburn (Author), Laurel Long (Author, Illustrator) is unfortunately out of print, but still readily available through used booksellers. The picture book is based upon what is perhaps the best known Animal Bridegroom tale from the Grimms, The Singing, Springing Lark. It is an ATU 425A The Animal as Bridegroom, the same tale type as East of the Sun and West of the Moon. There are eleven Animal Bridegroom tales from the Grimms in Beauty and the Beast Tales From Around the World including this one.

It is a gorgeously illustrated book, one of the lushest versions of Beauty and the Beast around with vibrant jewel tones and detailed renderings. The style is reminiscent of Kinuko Craft who has many fans here at SurLaLune. It's a shame it is out of print.

Author's Note from the book:

This Grimms' fairy tale is also known as "The Singing, Springing Lark." It is an Aarne-Thompson tale type 425, "the search for the lost husband," a type that also includes animal bridegroom tales. The story combines "Beauty and the Beast" and "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." Our retelling condenses the action, but we chose to follow the dramatic spirit of the ending of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" in our treatment of the villain.

Book description:

Love and honor can overcome even the fiercest obstacles, as we see in this spellbinding fairy tale, with shades of "Beauty and the Beast." To save her father, a young woman must go to the castle of a menacing lion. She fears for her life, but finds kindness rather than danger there, for the lion by day is a gentle young man by night-a prince under the spell of a wicked enchantress. Soon the lady and the lion fall in love.

Unlike the more familiar tale, however, this story has only just begun. The prince is not yet safe from the enchantress, and it will take all of the lady's strength and courage, through a seven-year quest, to rescue him. Dazzlingly romantic and visually magnificent, this is a book for the ages-an exhilarating tale of virtue, heroism, and the power of love.