Title: Princess Justina Albertina: A Caoutionary Tale
Author: Ellen Dee Davidson
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Publication Date: 2007
ISBN: 9781570916526
Summary: Princess Justina Albertina is a spoiled little girl who demands her nanny to get her a pet. No pet is just right in the eyes of Princess Justina Albertina and she keeps sending her nanny back out to get a new pet. Then her nanny pick out the perfect pet gryphon and the pet eats the princess.
Rating: 5 out 5 stars.
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Title: Strega Nona
Author: Tomie dePaola
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1975
ISBN: 067166283X
Summary: Strega Nona, Grandma Witch, is a source of potions, curses, and magic in the town of Calabrian. She had a magical pasta pot that intrigues hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden when she visits Strega Amelia. While she is gone, Big Anthony recites the magic versus over the pasta pot and only disaster results.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Title: One Grain of Rice
Author: Demi
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: 1997
ISBN: 059093998X
Summary: There once was a raja who thought he was fair. But every year he kept nearly everyone's rice for himself. Then when a famine came he refused to share the rice and the people went hungry. A village girl, Rani, makes a clever plan to get the rice back. She does a good deed for raja and in return demands one grain of rice doubled every day for thirty days.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
I love Strega Nona! I can remember reading this as a child with my Nonna and sharing so many memories. This is for sure a traditional book that will continue to be read and passed down to children.
ReplyDeleteI love how the Princess book you found has a very different kind of ending than expected from most princess fairytales. There are definitely some savvy authors out there breaking the envelope on the classic structure in fun and interesting ways.
ReplyDelete"One Grain of Rice" is a great example of a folklore tale. I can see this being passed down from generations to generations, especially of that culture. I see that its a mathematical folktale too, so it even teaches kids a lesson of math!
ReplyDeleteI remember Strega Nona and how much I loved it!! I even still have the plush doll in our old toy chest at my house. She is a very cute grandmother figure for kids to relate to.
ReplyDeleteI also remember reading One Grain of Rice which shows a lot of cleverness and can be used for math curriculum as well. It also shows the importance of taking care of those less fortunate.