Dolores O’Donnell (Inis - The Magazine of Children's Books Ireland, Spring 2006 (No. 16))
Shelley Fowles’ lively retelling of a Hungarian folk tale, illustrated in colourful and highly decorative detail, is an immediately engaging read. The somewhat whimsical tale of a young lady called Rosa, who wins the hand of a prince by climbing a humungous tree, has echoes of Cinderella. Evil stepmother and nasty stepsister are present. Rosa, however, being more spirited than Cinderella, doesn’t sit around waiting for a fairy godmother. Instead she seizes the day and puts her climbing ability to the test -- a skill perfected through her nightly banishment to sleep on the roof -- in the open competition to find a bride for the prince. Thus the story charts the classic rise of the underdog, who overcomes adversity through hard work, talent and lucky circumstance. The premise behind the open competition is hilarious. The king, fed up with his bookworm son’s costly consumption of candles, insists it’s time he found a wife and thus the competition is arranged. The ditsy prince is a reluctant participant in the events until, of course, he encounters Rosa. Happy endings all round! The illustrations are magnificent. Expertly rendered in watercolour, where the wet-on-wet technique is used to perfection and layer upon layer of saturated colour is built up to create beautifully intense hues to provide a perfect backdrop to the story. The illustrations are done in a folk--naïve style, which also mirrors the origins of the story, and the decorative detail brings an essential fantasy element. While the story is perfect for a 3 to 6 year old, the illustrations could and maybe should be shared with children and adults of all ages. My current Sixth Class were very impressed! 2006, Frances Lincoln, D10.99. Ages 4 to 6.