Siegfried and Kriemhild: A Story of Passion and Revenge Illustrated by Frank Cheyne Papé.

Once upon a time there lived in the Netherlands, in Xante, a wonderful castle on the river Rhine, a mighty king and queen. Siegmund and Sieglinde were their names, and far and wide were they known. Yet their son, the glorious hero Siegfried, was still more widely celebrated. Even as a boy he performed so many daring feats that his bravery was talked of in all German lands.

The two most remarkable of these feats were the slaying of a frightful monster known as the "Dragon of the Linden-tree" and the capture of the rich treasure of the Nibelungs. The hoard was an ancient one and had this wonderful property—that no matter how much was taken from it the quantity was never less.

All this happened before Siegfried reached the age of manhood. When it was time for the youth to be knighted, King Siegmund sent invitations far and wide throughout the country, and a great celebration took place. Siegfried was solemnly girded with a sword and permitted to take his place among the warriors of the kingdom. Then there was a great tournament, a wonderful occasion for Siegfried, who came off victor in every encounter, although many tried warriors matched their skill against his. Altogether the festivities lasted seven whole days.

After the guests had departed, Siegfried asked permission of his parents to travel into Burgundy to seek as bride for himself Kriemhild, the maiden of whose great beauty and loveliness he had heard.




Gunther, the king of Burgundy, recognizing the young hero, went out to meet him and politely inquired the cause of his visit. Imagine his dismay when Siegfried proposed a single combat, in which the victor might claim the land and allegiance of the vanquished. Neither Gunther nor any of his knights would accept the challenge; but Gunther and his brother hastened forward with proffers of unbounded hospitality.

Siegfried lingered a year in Gunther's palace, and though he never caught a glimpse of the fair maid Kriemhild, she often admired his strength and manly beauty from behind the palace windows.

One day a herald arrived from King Ludeger of Saxony and King Ludegast of Denmark, announcing an invasion. Gunther was dismayed; but the brave Siegfried came to the rescue, saying that if Gunther would give him only one thousand brave men he would repel the enemy. This was done and the little army marched into Saxony and routed the twenty thousand valiant soldiers of the enemy's force. All the men did brave work, but Siegfried was the bravest of them all.

Robin Hood by Nicky Raven - Illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert

The legend of Robin Hood gets a fresh retelling in this action packed adventure. Having missed the first printing of this book, I was so pleased to find out it is available again through Racehorse for Young Readers this year. The foreword is by Otto Bathurst, director of Robin Hood, released late 2018. Timing for this edition is a little off however, it is not a movie tie-in. Fast paced with short background information on the characters and setting, this edition rises into action fairly quickly and does not slow down the momentum until the very end.

Robin of Locksley is a war veteran whose land has been seized, is the leader of a band of outlaws. While Robin is the main character, he does not overshadow the secondary characters like Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlet; they also get good character development. There are only two strong female characters: Maid Marian, smart and very lady-like and Alyn, a member of the outlaws who is a good fighter and ace archer. The Sheriff of Nottingham performs his duties justly while the new villain here is his lackey, Guy of Gisburn.

The cover illustration has a Kevin Costner look-alike from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 1991. Nicky Raven's story will have a more lasting impression than that movie. Anne Yvonne Gilbert uses coloured pencil and ink for her illustrations and an earthy colour scheme to match the settings of Sherwood forest and the medieval ruggedness of the era. Her characters look real and less "Hollywood". This is a small book with many beautiful illustrations. Recommended for readers looking for a new interpretation of this legendary hero, ages 12+.

Amazon
Racehorse for Young Readers 2019
Hardcover 104p
6" x 9"

The Love Story of Cupid and Psyche

In the month of love when displays of affection are encouraged especially commercially through the gifting of chocolates, sweets, flowers and Valentine cards. Symbols of love such as the heart, doves or a chubby cherub with wings depicting the god of desire, Cupid (Amor/Eros) is plentiful. Cupid is often portrayed as the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His most memorable appearance in mythology is from the love story of Cupid and Psyche.

In many fairy tales the protagonists meets their love interest near to the end of the story with no real reason to fall madly in love. The tale of Cupid and Psyche is perhaps a little more romantic as it provides evidence and reason for the attraction. Having Greek origins, the earliest record of this tale lies within a Roman novel, Metamorphoses or The Golden Ass by Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis. Published in Latin some time in the latter half of the second century CE. The story goes as follows...

A king and queen have three daughters, all were very lovely but Psyche was the most beautiful. Word traveled throughout the lands of Psyche's unearthly beauty that some even mistook her for the goddess of love, Venus herself. This angered Venus and as punishment, she ordered her son Cupid, whose golden arrows can cause love at first sight at the slightest touch to avenge her. He was to make Psyche fall in love with a monster.

Click to view full image.

Cupid enters Psyche's chamber one night, ready with bow in hand. When he sees her and is startled by her beauty, he accidentally nicks himself with his own arrow. Cupid falls in love with Psyche instantly and flees the scene. Venus then instructs an oracle to deliver Psyche to the mountaintop where she will be wed to a hideous monster.

Cupid is now unable to obey his mothers orders, rescues Psyche. She is swept down safely by Zephyrus, the west wind to a magnificent castle. Inside the castle, Psyche had everything she could ever desire with invisible servants and a mysterious host who became her husband. She was instructed to never see the face of her husband who visits and makes love to her in the dark of night.

Click to view full image.

Before long, Psyche grows lonely and asks to have her sisters visit her in the castle. Psyche's jealous sisters demand she discover the identity of her secret husband for he may be the monster the oracle had predicted. With this planted doubt, that night while Cupid was asleep, Psyche holds a candle near him and sees not the face of a monster but that of a handsome god. While in her discovery, a drop of hot wax falls on Cupid and wakes him. He is infuriated at her betrayal and abandons her.

Click to view full image.

Psyche is miserable and enters the temple of Venus to attempt atonement. To gain forgiveness, Venus assigns three impossible tasks for Psyche. First, she must sort through great mounds of mixed grains. With the help of ants, she completes her first task. For her second task, she is to retrieve golden fleece from dangerous sheep down by the river. A river god aids Psyche this time by telling her to collect the fleece that have been left behind on the bushes when the sheep leave for shade. Psyche's second task is complete and this angers Venus even more.

Click to view full image.

For her third task, she is given a box and commanded to request some beauty from Proserpine, queen of the underworld. Cupid unable to let his love enter the underworld to never return, aids psyche in her last task. He instructs her to pay Charon, the ferryman of the river Styx with a gold coin from her lips so he will not know she is alive. Psyche is careful not to eat or be distracted by anything whilst in the underworld. She receives the beauty from Proserpine within the box and returns to the land of the living successfully. Before returning to Venus, Psyche's curiosity gets the better of her and she decides to open the box and get a little beauty for herself. Once the box is opened, she discovers that there is no beauty in the box; it contains only the sleep of death. Instantly, Psyche falls to the ground. When he sees his love fall, Cupid flew to her side and drew the sleep from her body and places it back into the box.

The lovers asks each other for forgiveness and Cupid pleads to Jupiter, king of the gods to allow Psyche into Olympus. Psyche then drinks a cup of ambrosia and becomes immortal. Soon after, Cupid and Psyche have a daughter named Voluptas meaning 'pleasure'.

There are not many modern retellings available for the story of  Cupid and Psyche and even slimmer pickings for children's picture books. A recommendation for this title is by M. Charlotte Craft and illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft.

Amazon

HarperCollins 1996
Hardcover 48p

9" x 11"

The Pink Umbrella by Amélie Callot - Illustrated by Geneviève Godbout

What else can you do on rainy days except stay in bed and sleep all day? Adele does not like the rain one bit! Her lively spirit is dampened when it's cold, dark and gloomy outside. There is much more to do on a sunny day when friends and customers gather at her café, the Polka-Dot Apron;  the hub of their small coastal community. With the help of a caring friend, Adele learns to look on the bright side of things.

Using pastels and coloured pencils to create soft clean lines, Geneviève Godbout's illustrations are whimsical and charming with a slight vintage feel with those big dotted eyes. Originally published in French as Rose à petits pois,
this lighthearted story about the power of friendship and its influence on ones positive outlook on life, will inspire young readers to see the world through bright eyes. The Pink Umbrella is Amélie Callot's first book. Recommended for ages 4+.

Amazon
Tundra Books 2018
Hardcover 80p
9" x 11"

The Most Wonderful Thing in the World by Vivian French - Illustrated by Angela Barrett

While browsing the bookstore recently, the cover of The Most Wonderful Thing in the World really intrigued me with its circus-like image and its title. Some might say not to judge a book by its cover but I almost always do! For picture books it's a key factor in deciding whether I like the style of illustration and how interesting the contents may be. This book by Vivian French and illustrated by Angela Barrett came home with me.

A king and queen searches for a suitable husband for their daughter Princess Lucia. Only the young man who can show them the most wonderful thing in the world will be the right choice. But what can be shown or given to someone who has everything? Not pyramids, airships or even a piece of frozen sky will do.

This is one of the more romantic fairy tales that show love blossoming over time throughout the book and doesn't just happen at first sight. The many scenes of Lucia touring the kingdom is very picturesque. The watercolour illustrations are elegant, intricate and dreamy; set possibly in the jazz age are enhanced by a dynamic layout. The clever retelling of this fairy tale makes for more engaging characters and interesting story. Recommended for ages 5+.

Amazon
Candlewick Press 2015
Hardcover 32p
11.1" x 9.3"