Publishers Weekly
08/30/2021
Fransman (The House That Groaned) and debut author Plackett reflect a world in which gender roles are not so strictly defined in this charming collection of 12 lightly retold fairy tales. In “Handsome and the Beast,” it is the beautiful son of a female merchant who encounters a female Beast. A princess who’s out hunting wakes a sleeping prince in “The Sleeping Handsome in the Wood.” While some of the gender changes are more whimsical—it is a rooster who lays the golden eggs in “Jacqueline and the Beanstalk”—outside of the gender bending, the beats of the stories themselves remain exactly the same: Snowdrop’s vain evil stepfather still tries to kill him once with laces, once with a comb, and finally with a poisoned apple, and Thumbalina—now Thumbalin—still finds his home among the flowers. There’s nothing radical here, and though the authors discuss trans and nonbinary identities in their introduction, they’re not explicitly present in the tales themselves. But even these mild revisions breathe fresh air into well-known and loved tales, breaking up conventional dynamics and outdated ideologies. Coupled with vibrant illustrations from Fransman, this is sure to enchant adults and children alike. Agent: Sophie Lamber, C+W Agency. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
"I only intended to look at it . . . but I’m completely drawn in. I love it. The language is fantastic. The gender swaps I hope will undo all my unconscious bias and I’ll find my inner power! Fabulous." — Philippa Perry
"Startling and refreshing, thought-provoking and unique, this book will stay with me. Its genius is that it feels like a timeless classic – beautifully illustrated, a joy to share – even as it shakes the gender stereotypes in our most beloved stories by their roots." — Jess Kidd
"We were both fed a strict diet of fairytales as children so we were instantly captivated by Karrie and Jonathan’s impressive reimaging of these age old tales. We were shocked that the simple premise of gender swapping the characters completely changed the way we connected to the stories. What would it have been like for Dev to grow up in a world where he was being read stories about vulnerable men who are praised for their emotional intelligence rather than their physical strength. Or for Tilda to have grown up play-acting the brave hero rather than the damsel in distress. If we are going to change the world we live in we need to inspire the next generation of changemakers to dream bigger. We believe this book is a part of this change." — Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Dev Patel
"I will share this book with my own family and take into school soon, but for now I am still reading, re-reading and poring over the illustrations for my own reading enjoyment. It is an incredible book and would make the best Christmas gift for young and old!" — MyShelvesAreFull
"It’s one thing to know that misogynistic stereotypes exist, another to peer into the machine that creates them . . . The illustrations also back up the aim of the book by disrupting stereotypes . . . an important reminder that the way we tell stories matters." — Independent
"Fransman and Plackett’s clever and revelatory revisions breathe fresh life into familiar stories as girls outsmart their foes and slay monsters while princes are allowed to express their anxieties and fears with a good, healthy cry." — Booklist
"Sure to enchant adults and children alike." — Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
10/01/2021
Gr 7 Up—Fransman and Plackett alter the gender markers in classic fairy tales for this collection, including "Handsome and the Beast," "Gretel and Hansel," and "Thumbelin." Each story is accompanied by illustrations that are vibrant and inviting, which greatly assists the implementation of the authors' intention to present these tales as authentic alternatives to the originals. Although these changes are an interesting exercise in theory, the authors' decision to only change gender markers and leave the remainder of the text untouched creates situations that jar the continuity of the stories. The context-less inclusion of archaic language that has since changed in meaning is disruptive to the overall storytelling. VERDICT A candidate for inclusion in a collection catering to academic analysis, but unlikely to be a worthwhile selection for a less formal setting.—Austin Ferraro, Brambleton Lib./Loudoun County P.L., Brambleton, VA
