Girls to the Rescue 1: Folk Tales From Around the World

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From School Library JournalGrade 3-6-A collection of stories about resourceful young women, written to offset the helplessness of traditional folktale heroines. Most are original tales that incorporate folkloric elements. In Lansky's own "The Fairy Godmother's Assistant," a young woman advises Cinder-Ella to sew her own ball gown. She goes on to council a king and arbitrate a royal dispute, relying on her own wits and common sense. "Grandma Rosa's Bowl," based on an old diary discovered in an antique store in Mexico, is about a girl whose wisdom and sensitivity help her settle a painful family feud. The stories are set in a variety of countries, but occasionally a sincere desire to represent many cultures seems lacking. For example, in Vivian Van de Velde's "Lian and the Unicorn," the unicorn seems to have been plunked down in China simply to fulfill some vague multicultural requirement. Nevertheless, most of these stories are fast paced and humorous. Readers who enjoyed Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess (Firefly, 1980) but aren't yet ready for Jack Zipes's immortal Don't Bet on the Prince (Routledge, 1986) will enjoy them.Rebecca O'Connell, Carnegie Library of PittsburghCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product DescriptionAn eagerly awaited collection of tales featuring strong, brave, wise female characters who make the difference and save the day. These are tales in which beauty and marriage are not the main goals.