Review by Booklist Review
Randall, a young servant, dreams of escaping his dreary life in the castle, but he gets the adventure of a lifetime when inept King Arnold sends him to spy on a rival king, and he gains the ability to speak the language of animals in the process. Upon his return, Randall and King Arnold's daughter, Tilda, hope to marry, but a series of impossible tasks has Randall running across the world and back to retrieve ever more elusive prizes to win her hand. Relying on his own determination and the help of a few new friends, Randall just might succeed on his biggest quest yet. This lesser-known Grimms' tale gets a contemporary facelift with a diverse cast, feminist heroes, and emphasis on the natural world. The brightly colored panels are simply drawn but feature hidden surprises and humorous details. Endearing characters and plenty of adventure make this a highly appealing adaptation. Includes an overview of fairy tales and an analysis of this iteration and the original tale.--Summer Hayes Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Nadler updates a lesser-known Grimm's tale with diverse characters, compassion for animals, and a feminist hero. Randall, a young servant, loves canny Princess Tilda, but her father, King Arnold, is a neurotic tyrant. Sent by Arnold to spy on a neighboring kingdom, Randall discovers that King Boris dines on white snake; after Randall tries some, he finds that he can understand the language of animals, allowing him, en route home, to assist and save many. And when Tilda persuades Arnold to invite suitors to compete for her hand, the creatures offer Randall help in return. Nadler's crisp, neatly laid-out panel artwork is easy to follow, with moments of video-game-like adventure, and bites of magic food produce a hilariously trippy effect as pulsing rainbow halos appear around the eaters' heads. In an afterword, comic artist Paul Karasik offers context for the modernized components, in particular "girl power," and makes a case for the free retelling of traditional stories-a sign of more to come, perhaps. Ages 8-up. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A brave servant seeks adventure and the hand of a princess in this modern adaptation of a lesser known Grimms' tale.Randall wants to do more with his life than serve at the beck and call of King Arnold, a ruler so self-absorbed that he would rather focus on having paintings hung than ruling his kingdom. His opportunity comes when Arnold sends him on a covert mission to Borisylvania to discover their king's secret for ruling so justly. Randall's sleuthing leads to his eating a piece of the eponymous white snake and gaining the power to understand animals. Returning to Arnold, Randall begins a quest for the princess's hand in marriage that demonstrates the value of kindness and truly listening to others. Using comic-book-style graphics and panels, Nadler makes this tale fresh, multiethnic, and accessible to younger children. The artist is an expert at using facial expressions to draw out the tale's humor and pathos. His shrewdest update, however, is the transformation of Princess Tilda from a prize-to-be-won supporting character into an adept and capable ruler who directly challenges her father's outdated belief that a woman is incapable of wielding power well. This shift makes the relationship between Tilda and Randall a mutual meeting of the minds rather than a means for his social advancement. Randall has light brown skin and brown hair; Arnold and Tilda present black; the rulers of Borisylvania present white.A sweet and amusing update. (Graphic fairy tale. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
