Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales

What is it with this guy? I'll tell you something, he found a niche and is really working it. It's a good thing he works it well!! Gregory Maguire (author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Wicked, among many others) turns well-known fairy tales on their heel (or hoof, paw, sticky digit...whatever) in Leaping Beauty, and Other Animal Fairy Tales. This book, recommended for youth 8-12 but really enjoyable for all, tells us the untold stories of characters like Goldiefox and the Three Chicks, So What and the Seven Giraffes, and Leaping Beauty herself. There are 8 stories in all, and certainly best enjoyed read aloud. Though Maguire tones down his acerbic wit for the young crowd, these stories leave plenty of opportunities for uncomfortable conversation with your child. For instance, they may ask you, "Exactly what is a hot toddy?" or "Why would the bad guy make someone wear concrete boots?". Then again, the actual fairy tales from Brothers Grimm were pretty controversial in their own way, too. It's all just good fun, though, and a great way to show kids that every story has two (or more!) sides.

This book contains the funniest fractured fairy tales I have ever read. The stories are long, but a great read for reluctant readers in the 3-6 grade range. The library that I work at owns this book, but I like it so much, I had to buy my own copy! A must have for storytellers and teachers.

Gregory Maguire, author of such fairy tale revisionist histories as Wicked and Mirror, Mirror, serves up the traditional glass slipper, pumpkin coach and gingerbread house with a generous helping of irreverence and irony. The humor relies heavily on modern satire, which many adults will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this latest offering from Gregory Maguire. Having loved two of his adult novels, Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, I thought I'd give this one a try. I wasn't disappointed! These stories should appeal to both children and adults, although some of the jokes might go over a younger child's head. I think this book would work really well as a read-aloud, too. My favorite story was Cinder-Elephant. The whimsical line drawings really added to the fun of the book. I heartily recommend this book to everyone!

Although Gregory Maguire has been writing children's books for years, he is probably best known for his recent adult retellings of The Wizard of Oz (WICKED), Cinderella (CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER), and Snow White (MIRROR MIRROR). Now, with LEAPING BEAUTY, Maguire turns his considerable creative retelling talents back to a younger audience, with a collection of eight fractured fairy tales featuring animals in the lead roles. The title story (which opens the book) is actually one of the weakest of the bunch, as Maguire chooses a fairly straightforward approach to tell of the young frog princess who is transformed from Weeping Beauty to Sleeping Beauty to Leaping Beauty. More entertaining are the later stories, such as "Hamster and Gerbil," a pair of adopted siblings who happen upon a cottage made of pet food and its owner, a nefarious porcupine who is also a gourmet cook. It seems that Maguire had a great deal of fun coming up with the names of stories and characters. There's Little Red Robin Hood, who wanted "to rob the rich birds of the forest and give their worms to the poor birds of the forest." And there's the heroine of "Rumplesnakeskin," a lovely blonde sheep named Norma Jean, who wears tight sweaters and desperately wants to break into the movies. Some of this might go over young readers' heads, but they'll still enjoy Maguire's clever plot twists and his sometimes snarky humor. LEAPING BEAUTY is a great next step for kids who have grown out of THE STINKY CHEESE MAN but who are not yet ready for the more sophisticated fairy tale retellings of Robin McKinley or Donna Jo Napoli. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl