An original and delightful parody of the classic fairy tale genre. Velde uses humorous contemporary dialogue to tell the story of the quite ordinary but spirited princess-heroine Jennifer, who finds herself in the position of saving the life of a spoiled prince and dealing with a most unconventional young sorcerer.
Velde has tackled a difficult idea. The fairy tale genre has been parodied on many occasions, and parodies have the potential of becoming wearisome in their inevitable use of cliches. However, despite a wicked witch, a magic mirror, a dark forest and a handsome prince, Velde's approach remains fresh and definitely amusing.
Characters have unusual twists to their personalities and become individuals rather than stereotypes. Children will secretly cheer when, at the end of the story, Jennifer turns down the marriage offer of the vain Prince Alexander and finds herself drawn to the sorcerer instead. Hyman has chosen a lush, semi-Romantic style for her ten black-and-white illustrations, done with her usual flair for detail.
