All at Once Upon a Time

September 1, 2024
This clever mash-up of traditional folk and fairy tales comes together to make a whole new twisted plot to revel in: "Once upon a time (now, tell me if you've heard this one before), locked up in a tower, lived a princess with the longest..." The key to appreciating this comedy is in that parenthetical phrase. It's not Rapunzel locked in the tower but rather a dishonest princess with an extremely long nose that grows longer when she fibs. The prince must climb a beanstalk to save her, but somehow that leads to a table in a castle in the clouds with three different-sized bowls of what appears to be porridge of varying temperatures. A giant is not far behind. There are wells, frogs, gingerbread houses, wolves, baskets, and many other favorite tropes, which come together wildly and with funny and unexpected details. One bowl contains not porridge but rather tapioca pudding; the princess in the ball gown loses not her shoe but her temper. Bright cartoon art makes exaggerated use of perspective and expressively rendered characters to heighten the dramatic plot twists and the humor. For readers with enough background knowledge to catch the jokes, this fast-paced adventure offers an opportunity to keep the story going even after the book has closed. Julie Roach

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

August 19, 2024
This fairy tale mash-up from Rockliff and Jose lobs scraps of fairy tales at readers as fast as they can recognize them—and foils expectations, too. Crisp, cartoon-style illustrations open on a princess trapped in a tower with long... hair? No, a long nose that grows every time she fibs. When a prince arrives to save her, he begins to climb a beanstalk, arriving not at the top of the princess’s tower but at a giant’s house. There, a huge table is set with three bowls: “He tasted the porridge in the first bowl, but it was too hot. The second bowl of porridge was too cold.” And the third? It’s “just tapioca pudding.” As the story continues, Little Red Riding Hood carries a basket full of frogs, and the wolf pricks its paw on a spinning wheel. It’s a fast-moving romp that’s also a challenge, inviting readers to identify the fractured fairy tales’ fragments. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8.

October 1, 2024
Mashed-up fairy tales yield intriguing results. From the very first page, readers are welcomed into bright and cheery Fairyland, which features rounded hills, green grass, and a crooked tower, with a distressed fair maiden peering out of a high window. "Once upon a time," starts this story, the text presented in distinctive gold lettering, "lived a princess with the longest..." Flipping to the next page reveals the wordnose; this blond-haired, Rapunzel-like character's schnoz grows every time she tells a fib. Riding by on a white horse, the prince hears her cry and climbs the tower via a nearby beanstalk. With every page turn, a familiar character veers off into a different tale. This is an entertaining read-aloud choice; giggles will immediately ensue, though there are lessons to be learned as well. Many of the twists bring a kinder storyline into focus: Princesses are tired of waiting to be rescued. The big bad wolf falls into a funk, and the little pigs help cheer him up. The zany cartoon illustrations effectively capture the humor of each switch. The intentionally absurd plot speeds by; familiarity with the source material is a must for young readers. Overall, Rockliff and Jose emphasize the importance of treating others with compassion--perhaps a better lesson than those offered by the original tales. Human characters are diverse. Sidesplitting exercises in absurdity.(Picture book. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 In Rockliff's humorous fractured fairy tale, ""Little Red Riding Hood,"" ""Jack and the Beanstalk,"" ""Cinderella,"" ""Rapunzel,"" ""Goldilocks,"" ""Pinocchio,"" and other classics are told as never before. Funny twists and surprising results will keep children (and adults) guessing and laughing throughout the entertaining story. The comical tale begins with "Once upon a time (now, tell me if you've heard this one before), locked away up in a tower, lived a princess with the longest . . . NOSE," which, of course, lengthens whenever she tells a lie. The book encourages readers to speculate what will happen next, but the tale proves anything but predictable as each well-known story takes an unexpected turn. Richly colored cartoon illustrations, using a variety of perspectives, add humor, and several spreads featuring a prince, a beanstalk, and a well require the book to be turned vertically. Three pigs, a wolf, Snow White, and an old woman who lives in an unusual house are also featured. Be prepared for this amusing storytime selection to be requested over and over.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
This clever mash-up of traditional folk and fairy tales comes together to make a whole new twisted plot to revel in: "Once upon a time (now, tell me if you've heard this one before), locked up in a tower, lived a princess with the longest..." The key to appreciating this comedy is in that parenthetical phrase. It's not Rapunzel locked in the tower but rather a dishonest princess with an extremely long nose that grows longer when she fibs. The prince must climb a beanstalk to save her, but somehow that leads to a table in a castle in the clouds with three different-sized bowls of what appears to be porridge of varying temperatures. A giant is not far behind. There are wells, frogs, gingerbread houses, wolves, baskets, and many other favorite tropes, which come together wildly and with funny and unexpected details. One bowl contains not porridge but rather tapioca pudding; the princess in the ball gown loses not her shoe but her temper. Bright cartoon art makes exaggerated use of perspective and expressively rendered characters to heighten the dramatic plot twists and the humor. For readers with enough background knowledge to catch the jokes, this fast-paced adventure offers an opportunity to keep the story going even after the book has closed.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)