Goose Girl

Goose Girl is a fantastic retelling of the Grimms's Fairy Tale by the same name. Ani is a young princess who finds easy friends among birds and horses but is socially awkward in human company. Not good for a Crown Princess. Among the royal household, she finds acceptance only from her father, the king. When he dies, her younger brother is unexpectedly made Crown Prince and, in order to seal an alliance, Ani is sent off to marry a neighboring prince she knows nothing about. During the long journey, she is betrayed by her only friend and many of her soldiers. Ani escapes to become a goose girl in the palace of the kingdom she was to have ruled. She must must learn how to trust herself and her new friends in order to save the kingdom from war and reclaim her throne.


Goose Girl was a 2004 Texas Lone Star book, recommended by the Texas Library Association for children between sixth and eigth grade. Shannon Hale creates an excellent re-telling of this classic fairy tale. I love the idea that people can learn the language of nature if they open themselves to it. The magical, Hale's timeless world is so appealing and her charcters are full of life. It is easy to get swept up in Ani's journey to self-discovery.

Also, I don't know why, just love these crackle paintings!! The book was illustrated by Alison Jay, created by oil painting on paper and applying a crackling varnish. Alison Jay also illustrated I Took the Moon for a Walk and the beautiful If Kisses Were Colors.