A Frozen Heart

A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick (Parragon) PB RRP $14.99   ISBN 978 1 4748 4292 1

Reviewed by Allison Paterson

Fans of the Disney animated movie Frozen will be delighted with the arrival of Elizabeth Rudnick’s novel A Frozen Heart. For those who missed the 2013 movie, the tale tells the story of Princess Anna and her cold and distant sister, Queen Elsa.

Lonely Anna falls in love with the handsome and deceptive Prince Hans of the Southern Isles when they meet at Elsa’s coronation as Queen of Arendelle. Disaster strikes when Elsa loses control of her magical and hidden ice powers, unwittingly unleashing a bitter winter upon the kingdom and consequently forcing her to flee to the icy North Mountain.  

Anna sets out find Elsa and save the kingdom and is aided by some true friends she meets along her perilous journey. As Hans’s true motivations are eventually revealed, Anna discovers not only the truth about Elsa, but also the truth that love is much more than an instant attraction.

A Frozen Heart successfully fills the character gaps that the movie did not explore, providing the back story for the characters, delving into their motivations and thoughts and hence an expanded explanation for their actions.  Narrated by the alternating points of view of Anna and Hans, the novel uses the events and dialogue of the movie to propel the story and to expand the themes of friendship, love and family.

While elements of the humour and dramatic effect of the movie are a little lost in the retelling, the narrative remains well-constructed and satisfying and is ideal for the growing-up fans of Frozen who are now in the mid Primary to early Secondary years. The strong female character of Anna and the growth she shows provides a positive role model for our Princess followers. The focus on the meaning of love and the connection with sacrifice, family and true friendship provide a powerful and valuable message.

The Most Wonderful Thing in the World

The Most Wonderful Thing in the World by Vivian French, illustrated by Angela Barrett (Walker Books)

PB RRP $16.99

ISBN 9781406365726

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The Most Wonderful Thing is a gorgeous fairytale, made so much more by Angela Barrett’s exquisite illustrations. They transcend the text. She expands her view to what surrounds the characters and where things are happening, then looks even further.

Here is the story of a king and queen who realize they must find a husband for their only child, a girl who will one day rule the kingdom. Sheltered within the castle for years, Lucia knows nothing of the world outside.

They depend on the wisdom of Old Angelo to guide them in choosing the right man. His suggests they find a young man who can show them the most wonderful thing in the world.

Lucia mustn’t realize what they are planning. They want to distract her, but she gets in before them. She decides that as she will be queen one day, she must go out into her kingdom.

Each day Lucia goes out with Salvatore, Old Angelo’s grandson, to explore the city without him knowing who she is. Each day the suitors present their idea of the most wonderful thing to impress the king and queen, to no avail.

Can Salvatore show the royals what the most wonderful thing is?

This book is perfection. The artwork is sublime and it’s obvious that Angela Barrett takes time with her work. Breathtaking and detailed, Barrett’s characters, their clothing, the background buildings and the animals, all come alive on the page. Suitable for ages 6-106.

Irina: The Trilogy

Irina: The Trilogy by Leah Swann (Xoum Publishing)

PB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-1-921134-84-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Irina is a princess, stolen at birth, raised by wolves and destined to save the kingdom. Following her own path rather than what is expected of her, Irina remains true to her loyalties and what she believes is right. She is a feisty character with great loyalty, honesty and courage. And at the heart of the trilogy lies the belief in trusting your own instincts and finding individual pathways through life.

This is a beautifully written story, with fairy-tale qualities of battles, quests, wise women and evil magicians. It is new and unique, yet it feels comfortingly familiar. The characters are drawn with strength and life; they are real and likeable, filled with quirks and weaknesses. The villains are satisfyingly mean and the adventure perilous in a well constructed world.

In true fantasy style, the conflict between good and evil is the centrepiece of this story and the journey is an exciting one. There are princes, princesses, wild woods, dragons, and magic all captured by engaging story telling. This is a tale worth telling and one that is already loved by many.

The chapters are short, which not only quickens the pace of the story, but makes it accessible to younger or less confident readers. Little silhouetted illustrations of animals – wolves for book 1, birds for book 2, and bunnies for book 3 – break the chapters down even more. It is an engrossing read for the 8 – 12 age range.

Irina is the full set of The Ragnor Tilogy; Irina the Wolf Queen, Irina and the White Wolf, and Irina and the Lost Book. 

Primrose

Primrose by Alex T. Smith (Scholastic UK)
PB RRP $15.99
ISBN 978-1-407109-66-4
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Princess Primrose wants to have fun. But that is not what is expected of a royal princess. When her behaviour threatens to get out of hand there is only one thing to do – send for Grandmama. Can she teach her how to behave like a proper princess?

This is a really fun book full of wonderful alliteration. ‘Princesses don’t dabble with dough!’ the cook nervously tells Primrose when she wants to help in the kitchen. She is told not to dig in the mud with the gardener, climb trees, or play board games with the maids. She should be waving politely and wearing very uncomfortable outfits.

The fun is evident in the illustrations too. They are bright, bubbly and full of colour. The king and queen are very proper – in the beginning. And this makes their later transformation all the more enjoyable.

It is a Royal Decree that in emergencies, Grandmama must be telephoned immediately. And that stately and upright lady arrives on a dark page, in a thunderstorm, surrounded by dark clouds and mud. Then the next page is back to pink and fun, lightening the tone immediately.

I love that with Grandmama comes a change of pace highlighting the differences between what Princess Primrose wants to do and what she should do! Grandmama’s solution will surprise young readers. It certainly surprised the King and Queen.

Children will enjoy the cheeky princess and her ‘plump little pug’ Percy immensely.

Lilli-Pilli, The Frog Princess

 

Lilli-Pilli, The Frog Princess by Vashti Farrer, illustrated by Owen Swan (Scholastic Press Australia) 

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-1-74169-620-2

Reviewed by Felicity Pulman

The pastel line drawing of a joyful young girl leaping off the pink front cover on long frog legs is guaranteed to prompt a curious child to investigate further.  This is a delightful modern fairy tale of a young princess who cannot please her royal parents, Queen Euphorbia and King Nasturtium, or live up to their expectations because, unlike the other royal princesses, she has long frog legs that get in the way of everything she does.

The curving text on some pages perfectly illustrates the leaps and capers of her progress from acrobatics at the Royal Swimming Pool, through lessons on how to be a proper princess, to the dance floor of the Grand Ball where prospective suitors complain that she’s treading on their toes.

Princess Lilli-Pilli is rescued from ignominy by Prince Antirrhinum, star gymnast of the Royal Circus, who twirls and whirls her and throws her into the air, to the amazement and delight of everyone (except the Royal Dancing Master.)  The princess’s future happiness is assured, especially when she becomes the prince’s partner in the Royal Circus’s newest act: The Flying Antirrhinums.

Owen Swan’s delicate illustrations complement perfectly the quirky humour of Vashti Farrer’s text – doing ‘pullovers, back-flips and hip-back circles’ sounds like such fun!  Above all, this story gives a positive message to children that, even if you’re different in some way, even if you don’t fit in, it’s still possible to be happy and fulfilled because everyone has a special talent of some sort.

 

Felicity Pulman is the author of numerous award-winning novels for children and teenagers, including Ghost Boy, the Shalott trilogy and the Janna Mysteries.