Once Upon a Time…

Dear Readeo Friends,

For the fairy tale fans among you, this week we introduce two tales of brave princes and princesses. The Real Princess: A Mathemagical Tale by Brenda Williams, illustrated by Sophie Faus, is a suspenseful retelling of “The Princess and the Pea” with a mathematical spin. Three brothers all wish to find the princess of their dreams. But Primo, the oldest son who will be king one day, must find a real princess. His mother, the Queen, hatches a plan to help him. The Princess and the White Bear King by Tanya Robyn Batt, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli, will appeal to fans of Beauty and the Beast. (We won’t say why, but here’s a hint: There’s more to the White Bear than at first meets the eye…)

And lastly, did you ever wonder why we have The Year of the Tiger? Or why 2011 is the Year of the Hare? The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Anne Wilson, explains why with this folktale about a race among all the animals. The Jade Emperor of China wanted a way to measure time. And he wanted to name each year after a different animal. But how would he choose which animals should be included and what order they would go in? He decides to hold a race, and the winner’s name would get the first year, the second-place animal would get the second, and so on. (You even get to find out why Rat and Cat no longer get along.)

We hope these tales will leave you feeling happily ever after. So, read or BookChat with these new titles today and let us know what you think in our comments here or on our Facebook page. We love hearing from you!

With all my best,
Jenny

Jenny Brown is the editor for Readeo and oversees all book selection for the site. She has worked in the children’s book world for the past 25 years, holding positions with HarperCollins and Scholastic, and was the Children’s Books Reviews Editor for Publisher’s Weekly.  She currently writes for School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness. Jenny graduated from Princeton University. You can read more from Jenny on her Web site, Twenty by Jenny.